Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration Tran Duc Phan said that there remains a huge gap between the ability of Vietnamese athletes and their rivals at the Olympic arena and the athletes did not obtain expected results at the Games.

The COVID-19 pandemic delivered a major blow to the preparations of the athletes, he explained, as most of them could not join training sessions and competitions due to social distancing rules.

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Vietnamese athletes competing at the Tokyo Olympics about to board a plane home from Japan

Some athletes, like marksman Hoang Xuan Vinh and judoka Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, had short preparation time as their berths were announced too close to the opening day.

A lack of mental strength of some athletes and unreasonable tactics are among subjective reasons, Phan added.

He affirmed that experience at the Tokyo Olympics will serve as a valuable lesson for Vietnamese athletes in their coming tournaments.

The official stated that long-term investment and systematic solutions, including the application of modern scientific and technological achievements in training are required for Vietnamese athletes to conquer the Olympic Games.

Source: VNA