The 2026 Asian Gymnastics Championships, held from June 18 to 21 in Zunyi City (China), is considered a decisive tournament, with the results serving as a knockout round for the continent's largest sporting event. Just before the tournament, the Vietnamese gymnastics team's coaching staff faced numerous challenges due to the sudden change in the competition format.
According to head coach Truong Minh Sang, the Asian Gymnastics Federation (AGU) initially planned to select the top 10 teams and the top 10 athletes in the all-around event. However, at the technical meeting just before the competition, the AGU unexpectedly announced that only the top 10 teams in the team event would be automatically selected, with the remaining individual spots to be determined by the Federation later. This change made the team competition fiercer than ever, as it was the only sure way to qualify. To secure the maximum 5 spots for athletes participating in ASIAD 20, the Vietnamese men's gymnastics team had to finish in the top 10 in the team event, added coach Truong Minh Sang.
The Vietnamese men's gymnastics team successfully secured their official ticket to ASIAD 20.
Under immense psychological pressure, the Vietnamese men's gymnastics team demonstrated unwavering resilience. Our boys displayed focused performances and distributed their energy effectively across each event, achieving a total score of 223.361. This result secured Vietnam a safe place in the top 10 in Asia, earning all five official spots in Japan for the following athletes: Dang Ngoc Xuan Thien, Nguyen Phuoc Hai, Nguyen Van Khanh Phong, Trinh Hai Khang, and Tran Dinh Vuong.
Besides the prestigious team qualification, the joy of Vietnamese gymnastics at this year's competition was doubled by the explosive performance of Trinh Hai Khang. In the vault – a traditional strength of Vietnamese gymnastics – Hai Khang executed highly difficult jumps and landings with precision, securing his place in the individual finals.
The success at Zunyi (China) this time, with a well-rounded team of veterans and young talents such as Xuan Thien, Phuoc Hai, Khanh Phong, Hai Khang, and Dinh Vuong, not only affirms the position of Vietnamese gymnastics but also serves as an important stepping stone for the sport to continue accumulating top-level experience. Having achieved the goal of qualifying in a highly emotional manner, coach Truong Minh Sang and his team will now begin a phase of increasing their training intensity, ready to aim for a major surprise at the upcoming ASIAD 20.
Ha Phuong