(Dan Tri) - Although still competing at the top level, with his love and passion for fencing, Vu Thanh An has realized that love by opening an amateur fencing club in Hanoi.

Vu Thanh An is currently the number 1 fencer in Vietnam with an impressive record. He won a gold medal at the U23 Asian fencing tournament, 8 gold medals at 5 consecutive SEA Games, 2 bronze medals at the Asian Games and was in the Top 15 at the 2016 Olympics.

In the photo is Vu Thanh An's emotional celebration when he won the gold medal in the men's sabre event at the 31st SEA Games held in Vietnam.

Although still competing at the top level, with his love and passion for fencing, Vu Thanh An has realized that love by opening an amateur fencing club in Hanoi.

Vu Thanh An's impressive record of achievements is placed solemnly in the gym. Talking about his idea of ​​establishing a grassroots fencing club, Vu Thanh An shared: "For a long time, I have wanted to develop a grassroots fencing club to promote this sport to many people. I have traveled to many countries and found that most countries have activities to develop fencing, but in Vietnam it is still very new, that makes me want to popularize fencing." Before each club practice session, Vu Thanh An always arrives early to prepare the equipment for the exercises. Finding a suitable location that meets the standards of fencing was quite difficult, but after a period of searching, Thanh An found a suitable location and began to welcome the first members to join the club.

Creating a completely new environment and popularizing fencing to everyone also caused Thanh An to encounter many difficulties. "An herself has no experience opening a class, nor does she have a similar model to refer to. From buying training equipment to finding students, she is quite worried about whether the class will be crowded or not," Thanh An confided.

At first, the information that Thanh An opened a fencing club was known to friends, who introduced each other, Thanh An's club welcomed the first members, especially with the participation of some members of the Malaysian fencing team for training. That affirmed Thanh An's influence with the successful marks he had in his career.

Thanh An carefully guides students in each movement and technique in fencing. The students in Thanh An's fencing club are quite diverse, from 9-year-old children to people over 50 years old, even foreigners. "The important thing is that you must have a passion. Many people think that fencing requires height and speed, but that is secondary because each person will have their own strengths and weaknesses. Agile people will often be hasty and impatient in competition, while calm people will not have good speed. If you know how to develop your strengths, anyone can play this sport," Thanh An shared his experience. For each age, Thanh An has built his own methods and lesson plans so that everyone can approach fencing in the easiest way. And indeed, fencing has helped many students in the club change positively. "In the club, there is a foreign student who was quite shy at first, and his parents often came to monitor him because he showed signs of autism, and the teaching process should not be forced. After a period of studying, he practiced very hard and made an effort, telling his family that he wanted to pursue fencing long-term, and his shyness gradually disappeared, making him more determined to pursue it." Thanh An shared a story about a student in the club.

Thanh An really hopes to expand his club in the future, creating a playground for many people, and in the future, organize amateur fencing tournaments so that everyone can compete, thereby discovering and nurturing many talents for fencing in the country. The Hanoi fencer also shared his own thoughts with athletes who have stopped competing at the highest level and moved on to a new career path: "Athletes who are competing and have competed at the highest level all have something special, especially from the noble medals they have, and especially from the determination that each athlete has within them. Later, when they retire, whether working in the sports field or any other field, An hopes that they will maintain their existing determination to find new successes."

Dantri.com.vn

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