HA NOI Sprinter Vu Thi Huong topped the list of the 15 best sportspersons of the year, dominating the polling with 2,587 points from voters, the organising committee announced yesterday.
Huong, who took gold in the women s 100m and 200m, and a silver in the 4x100m relay in Laos, beat out swimmer Nguyen Huu Viet, who came second with 1,907 points, submitted by more than 200 sports journalists from Ha Noi, Da Nang and HCM City on Tuesday.
Olympian Viet, who set a new SEA Games record in the men s 100m breaststroke, was followed by Truong Thanh Hang who ran to two gold medals at the Laos Games.
Hang, 23, from HCM City, signed a three-year contract with Ninh Binh.
Hang s boyfriend, Nguyen Dinh Cuong, also made it onto the list in seventh place with 1,097 points.
Both Cuong and Hang won gold medals in both the 800m and 1,500m events at the SEA Games.
The women s football team captain Doan Thi Kim Chi, who helped Viet Nam win their fourth SEA Games football title after beating Thailand 3-0 on penalties, ranked fourth in the poll.
Among the list of 15 top sportsmen and women, Olympic sports, including athletics, cycling, shooting, table tennis and wrestling, dominated the annual vote for outstanding athletes.
Coach Nguyen Dinh Minh from HCM City, who coaches sprinter Vu Thi Huong, came first in the list of seven best coaches.
In the division for the best disabled athletes and coaches, Nguyen Thi Hai of HCM City, who won three golds and broke three records at the ASEAN Para Games in Malaysia, won 795 points for the top spot.
Her coach Dang Van Phuc of HCM City was also voted first in the list of three best coaches.
The U-23 football team candidates Pham Thanh Luong and Mai Tien Thanh did not feature on the glorious list as the team failed to win the SEA Games gold that the country has waited so long for.
According to the organising committee, a gala night to honour athletes and coaches will be held in Ha Noi on March 27. VNS