1. Olympic gold medal for shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh
Hoang Xuan Vinh won Vietnam’s first gold medal in the ten-metre air pistol event at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. He scored 202.5 points, setting an Olympic record. Vinh also won silver in the 50 metre pistol event.
2. Le Van Cong wins gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games
Vietnam won its first medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games in Brazil this year. Le Van Cong broke the world record in the men’s 49kg class by lifting 183kg. The Vietnamese team went on to win one silver medal and two bronze medals.
3. Vietnam makes FIFA Futsal World Cup knockout stages
The Vietnam futsal team beat Japan in the AFC Futsal Championship in February to earn the first ticket to FIFA Futsal World Cup. Under the guidance of coach Bruno Garcia, the team made the knock-out stages of the tournament.
4. Vietnam football team qualify for U20 World Cup
Vietnam beat North Korea 2-1 in the U19 Asian Championships to qualify for the U20 World Cup for the first time. After drawing against UAE and Iraq and winning against Bahrain, the team reached U19Asian Cup quarter-finals and semi-finals for the first time. The team qualified for the FIFA U20 World Cup to be held in South Korea next year.
5. Nguyen Thi Anh Vien sets new Asian swimming record
In November, Nguyen Thi Anh Vien broke the record set by Chinese swimmer Liu Jing in 2002 after finishing the women’s 400m individual medley with a time of 4:37:71.
6. Gold medal won at the Asian Individual Blitz Women Chess Championship
Nguyen Thi Mai Hung won a gold medal at the Asian Individual Blitz Women Chess Championship in Uzbekistan on June 4. Meanwhile, Le Quang Liem won two silver medals. Hung and Liem qualified for the 2017 Chess World Cup.
7. Vietnam loses in AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final
Vietnam unluckily lost 4-3 to Indonesia in the semi-finals against an Indonesian team that made the most of Vietnam's defensive frailties. Vietnam put on a brave display and pushed the game into extra time despite playing with 10 men for the concluding stages of the home leg.
8. Vietnam ranks first at Fifth Asian Beach Games
Hosts Vietnam led the chart with 52 gold medals, 44 silver medals and 43 bronze medals. Thailand came second, followed by China. The Asian Beach Games are used to promote tourism.
9. Ly Hoang Nam sets new records for Vietnam tennis at Davis Cup
Viet Nam’s top tennis player Lý Hoàng Nam rose nine places in the latest Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings to 620th place in the men’s singles category.
10. The 9th Phu Dong Sport Festival
Nearly 15,000 coaches, athletes attended the 9th Phu Dong Sport Festival in Thanh Hoa and Nghe An. Ho Chi Minh City led the Phu Dong Sport festival, followed by Hanoi and Thanh Hoa. The festival is focused on identifying young talented athletes.