Vietnamese athlete rewarded after winning gold medal

Track and field athlete Bui Thi Thu Thao brought home the second gold medal for Vietnam on August 27 at the ongoing 2018 Asian Games (ASIAD 18) in Indonesia (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Track and field athlete Bui Thi Thu Thao, who brought home the second gold medal for Vietnam on August 27 at the ongoing 2018 Asian Games (ASIAD 18) in Indonesia, received a reward of 50 million VND (2,150 USD) the same day.

The sum was awarded by Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien, who is also President of the Vietnam Olympics Committee.

Thao won the women’s long jump with a leap of 6.55m, securing the country’s first ever gold medal in track and field at the continental sporting event.

Thao won a silver medal at the previous ASIAD in 2014 in Incheon of the Republic of Korea and triumphed at the Southeast Asian Games in 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Earlier, the female rowing team secured the first gold medal for Vietnam at ASIAD 2018 after finishing the women’s lightweight quadruple sculls event in 7 minutes and 01.11 seconds.

With Thao’s gold medal, the Vietnamese delegation jumped from 24th to 20th in the medal tally by the end of August 27.

The delegation consists of 523 people, including 352 athletes. It aims to snatch at least three gold medals at ASIAD 2018, which is taking place in two major Indonesian cities - Jakarta and Palembang - from August 13 to September 2.

At the previous ASIAD in 2014, Vietnam won one gold, 10 silver and 25 bronze medals, ranking 21st in the overall medal tally.-VNA