Asiad 20 Diary September 29: Sepak Takraw Wins Gold, Athletics Unsuccessful

On the morning of September 29, at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, Vietnam's women's sepak takraw team delivered the second gold medal of the campaign. The win over the Philippines by set scores of 15-8, 15-4 was not only the golden moment of the day, but also the anchor that kept Vietnam's target of four golds within reach. Before September 29, Vietnam entered competition with 2 golds, 1 silver and 17 bronzes, sitting inside the top 20 group. The target of four golds was still intact, but the margin to reach it was narrowing. Notably, the sports still named as gold hopes for the final days were boxing, shooting and sepak takraw; athletics was no longer in that group. The reality of September 29 showed Vietnamese athletics continuing to disappoint. Duong Thi Thao finished sixth in the women's high jump. The women's 4x400m relay finished fifth, while the men's 4x400m relay finished last, eighth place, in the final. No athlete won a medal, and athletics stayed at zero gold medals at this Asiad. The point is not just the rankings, but the fact that teams reached finals and showed a large gap with Asia's leaders. The men's relay finishing last in the final should be interpreted correctly: they did not fail in qualification, they qualified and reached the last race. But this is the picture of an athletics programme that can make finals but cannot yet compete for medals. For the women, fifth place reflected better team depth than the men, but still left a meaningful gap behind Japan, India, Bahrain and China. In the high jump, Duong Thi Thao placed sixth without any specific height being reported, so no comparison with records or season form is possible; the ranking only has relative value within Asia. The relay squad at this Asiad is its own story. Nguyen Thi Ngoc, Quach Thi Lan and Nguyen Thi Hang were in the women's group; Ta Ngoc Tuong and Tran Nhat Hoang were in the men's group. The analytical material refers to them as veterans carrying high expectations. But that expectation did not turn into results. There is no information on personal bests, season bests or injuries, so every judgment about form lacks quantitative support. The common signal is a reliance on veterans, suggesting the next generation in the 400m and relay events is not ready. More important than the numbers is this: Vietnam's delegation no longer places athletics among the sports that can add gold in the final days. The named sports are boxing, shooting and sepak takraw. This reflects not only results, but also strategic direction. When athletics is not treated as a medal destination in the closing phase of a Games, the problem is no longer about one bad day; it is about long-term structure, investment and development. The veteran-heavy relay squad reinforces the point: Vietnam's athletics depth is thin, especially at 400m. In the opposite direction, sepak takraw is showing a different model. The win over the Philippines was no accident; it was built on SEA Games superiority and team depth. This gold raised Vietnam's total to two and created positive pressure for boxing and shooting. It also highlighted a contrast: sepak takraw has a continuous stream of young athletes, while athletics still relies on a group of athletes who have competed for many years. From a media perspective, the headline framing of “athletics unsuccessful” can create an expectation–disappointment spiral. Before the Games, the phrase “bringing many expectations” was tied to the relay veterans. After results of 5, 8 and 6, the gap between expectation and reality became clear. This is not about blaming athletes, but about showing that September 29 was not just an unlucky day. Looking at the entire delegation, the biggest risk is not doping or rule compliance, because no negative signal exists on those issues. The main risk is generational: the relay team depends on veterans, with no visible replacement in the 400m. The second risk is concentration: Vietnam's gold supply depends on a narrow set of sports, with sepak takraw as the strongest. If one pillar falters, the four-gold target becomes fragile. Looking further, the sepak takraw gold is a reminder that Asian medals come from depth, not luck. In contrast, the athletics results are a warning about the gap between regional and continental competition. SEA Games brought victories over the Philippines, but at the Asiad, with China, Japan, India, Bahrain and Kazakhstan, Vietnamese athletics remains in the “reached the final” tier. That is not an individual failure; it is a structural ceiling. After September 29, the open question is not why the men's relay finished last, but who will be the young faces to replace Nguyen Thi Ngoc, Quach Thi Lan, Nguyen Thi Hang, Ta Ngoc Tuong and Tran Nhat Hoang in the next cycle. Without an answer, the word “expectation” will become increasingly distant for Vietnamese athletics. If the coaching staff uses this gap to rebuild, Asiad 20 will not be just a forgettable Games for the track, but the starting point of a new cycle. The change is underway, but it must begin by listening to the athletes — both those who just left the track and those who have never been named.