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| Three My Hanh sisters (right) contributed greatly to the overall championship achievement of the women's event at the 2024 Club Championship |
Promise of honor
The family of Mr. Nguyen Van Son, from Thach Binh Hamlet (Sia Town, Quang Dien District), has seven children. Except for the eldest son and the second youngest, the remaining five—Nguyen Thi My Hanh, Nguyen Thi My Trang, Nguyen Thi My Linh, Nguyen Thi My Tien, and the youngest brother Nguyen Dang Quoc—are all members of Hue’s wrestling team. Among them, My Hanh, My Trang, and My Linh have also been called up to the national team.
The story began in 2006 when Dinh Van Kien, head coach of Hue City's wrestling team, was recruiting athletes in Quang Dien. Noticing My Hanh’s suitable physique, coach Kien encouraged her to spar with other candidates. Out of curiosity, My Hanh agreed right away. Stepping onto the mat, she recalled and applied some moves she had seen at the Thu Le wrestling festivals. Her quick execution quickly received the coach’s praise.
Of course, for My Hanh to officially become his student, coach Dinh Van Kien had to overcome the "hurdle" of convincing her parents. Coming from a family with no sports background, Mr. Nguyen Van Son and his wife couldn’t hide their hesitation and worries. They were concerned that their daughter was still young. Pursuing a career as an athlete would mean living away from home, lacking parental care, and potentially affecting her education. Additionally, in their minds, wrestling was a sport more suited for boys. They doubted whether a girl could have any real success in it, not to mention the inevitable injuries and bruises that come with training and competition.
After many heartfelt conversations and with additional persuasion from Mr. Son’s nephew, a former wrestling athlete, along with Coach Dinh Van Kien’s promise of honor, "Let her follow me. If she doesn’t succeed in competition, she will still grow into a good person," Mỹ Hạnh’s parents finally gave their approval.
After just one year of training under her coach’s guidance, My Hanh proved that his trust was not misplaced by winning her first gold at the National Youth Championship in Thanh Hoa.
"Five Tiger Generals"
From her first gold, My Hanh’s achievements grew strikingly over time. To date, besides the honor of receiving the Third-Class Labor Medal after winning three consecutive SEA Games championship titles, she has also secured a bronze at the ASIAD. She has earned the nickname the "Invincible Warrior" in the 62kg category in Southeast Asia, with dozens of national championships and major tournament victories. The only medal missing from her collection is an Olympic one.
The success of their daughter, and more importantly, as Mr. Nguyen Van Son put it, her growth into a good person, led him and his wife to readily agree when Coach Dinh Van Kien proposed recruiting Nguyen Thi My Trang (My Hanh’s younger sister) in 2010. Later, in 2013, 2018, and 2024, My Hanh’s three younger siblings—Nguyen Thi My Linh, Nguyen Thi My Tien, and Nguyen Dang Quoc—also followed in her footsteps, joining Hue’s wrestling team.
During the training and competition in the same sport, the titles My Hanh achieved in the big arenas placed invisible pressure on her four younger siblings. However, this also served as motivation for them to strive harder.
The results speak for themselves. Except for Dang Quoc, who has a modest record with a bronze at the 2024 National Youth Championship after only a few months of training, My Tien consistently ranks among the top in national competitions. My Trang follows in My Hanh’s footsteps with an Asian bronze, two SEA Games golds, and multiple Southeast Asian championships. Meanwhile, My Linh has earned several Southeast Asian championship titles, an Asian bronze, and many national achievements.
"My Hanh has an aggressive style, constantly attacking with relentless pressure, while My Trang focuses on tight defense to seize the right moment to strike. My Linh, on the other hand, excels with a well-rounded ability to both attack and defend. As for My Tien and Dang Quoc, they need more time to gain experience and absorb the quintessence from their three older sisters to perfect themselves," coach Dinh Van Kien shared.
With their achievements in big arenas, it can be said that the My Hanh sisters are the backbone of Hue's wrestling. However, the good news is that Hue wrestling is not overly reliant on their performance and achievements. Coach Dinh Van Kien is also nurturing promising young talents such as Xuan Nhi, Thao Nguyen, Yen Nhi, An Binh, and Phuoc Rin.
In other words, My Hanh, My Trang, My Linh, Xuan Nhi, Thao Nguyen, Yen Nhi, An Binh, and Phuoc Rin... are the "golden hopes" of Hue wrestling for the upcoming SEA Games in 2025 and 2027 as well as the National Sports Festival in 2026 and 2030.