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| My Hanh, My Trang, and My Linh – three sisters |
Superior strength
At the SEA Games 33 later this year in Thailand, wrestling will feature 12 weight categories, with women’s freestyle set for four: 62kg, 57kg, 53kg, and 50kg. Through the selection process, the four Vietnamese female wrestlers named to compete at SEA Games 33 were My Hanh (62kg), My Trang (57kg), My Linh (53kg), and Thuy Linh (50kg).
Apart from Thuy Linh of the Bac Ninh wrestling team, My Hanh, My Trang, and My Linh all come from the Hue team and are sisters by blood. The achievement stands as a record: for the first time ever, Vietnam has three sisters competing in the same SEA Games event, a feat that also highlights the overwhelming strength of Hue women’s wrestling, with three out of four slots at this edition.
This is not the first time that Hue’s wrestling team and the My Hanh sisters have delivered a shock. Since My Hanh entered Hue’s wrestling team in 2006, her siblings — My Trang, My Linh, My Tien, and Dang Quoc — have one by one donned the Hue jersey in 2010, 2013, 2014, and 2024. Currently, four of the five My Hanh siblings — excluding Dang Quoc — have worn the national wrestling jersey, something unprecedented in any other Vietnamese sport.
Back to the story of the three sisters from Hue competing at the same SEA Games. While My Hanh and My Trang have both established solid foundations through many SEA Games, with My Hanh firmly known as Southeast Asia’s ‘unbeatable lone warrior’ in the women’s 62kg freestyle, and My Trang close behind with an Asian bronze medal, two SEA Games golds, and numerous regional titles, then this marks My Linh’s debut on the region’s biggest sporting stage.
What made My Linh the choice of Vietnam’s wrestling experts for SEA Games 33? “My Hanh thrives on dominance and relentless attack. My Trang relies on solid defense to strike at the right time. My Linh, on the other hand, blends both offense and defense, inheriting the technical finesse and strength of her sisters, making her even more ‘dangerous’ and the perfect successor once Hanh and Trang retire,” said Hue wrestling coach Dinh Van Kien.
Shining on the continental arena
After entering Hue’s wrestling team in 2013, guided by coach Dinh Van Kien and aided by her two sisters, My Linh showcased her talent just five months later with a silver medal at the National Youth Championship in Bac Ninh. “It served as a driving force for My Linh to keep striving and secure a host of accomplishments rarely seen among athletes her age.”
”Within the team, My Linh is considered a highly promising athlete. Though young, she can take down heavier opponents, even male wrestlers. After years of effort, My Linh has collected several notable achievements, including a gold medal at the 2018 National Sports Games, multiple Southeast Asian youth titles, and the 2024 National Beach Wrestling Club Championship gold,” said coach Dinh Van Kien.
Aside from those achievements, at the Asian Youth Championships hosted in Ba Ria – Vung Tau in June 2025, My Linh became Vietnam’s first-ever female wrestler to claim a silver at this event.
The journey to the silver medal for My Linh at this event proved both tense and captivating. Prior to her defeat in the title match against the North Korean athlete, the defending continental and world champion, My Linh confronted two strong challengers from India and Mongolia. They were also the very opponents who had overcome her elder sisters, My Hanh and My Trang, in prior events. This inevitably heaped great pressure on My Linh whenever she took to the mat.
“I was determined to beat my rivals for the flag and bring honor to the homeland. But honestly, deep down, I also carried the desire to avenge my two sisters. I’m glad I was able to accomplish that,” My Linh shared.
With no prior SEA Games experience, it would be unwise to place heavy expectations on My Linh winning gold, so as not to add pressure on the 2003-born wrestler. Yet, judging from My Linh’s performance at the recent Asian Junior Championships and the potential foreseen by experts, there is reason to hope for her moment of brilliance alongside her elder sisters, My Hanh and My Trang. Such a moment would again put Hue wrestling in the spotlight, with three sisters all securing gold at the same SEA Games.