HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese shooters will join the world's best competitors in Qatar for the ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun, where world titles, international prestige and the first Olympic quota places for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games will all be at stake.

A 14-strong contingent has arrived in Doha and is ready for the competitions from November 3 to 14 at the Lusail Shooting Complex on the outskirts of the city.

Among the competitors are Trịnh Thu Vinh, Phạm Quang Huy, Nguyễn Thùy Trang, Bùi Thúy Thu Thủy, Hà Minh Thành, Lại Công Minh and Nguyễn Đình Thành, who have won numerous international medals.

Vinh is one of Việt Nam's leading medal prospects. She finished fourth in the women's 10m air pistol at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and is set o compete in four events in Doha, namely the women’s 10m air pistol, 25m sport pistol, 25m standard pistol and the mixed team 10m air pistol.

At the recent 20th Asian Games (ASIAD) in Japan, Vinh teamed up with Trang and Thủy to win bronze in the women's 10m air pistol team event.

In the men’s pistol event, Huy is a key figure for the national team. The ASIAD 19 champion is set to compete in multiple events – the men’s 10m air pistol, 25m rapid-fire pistol and various other 25m and 50m pistol disciplines. Huy reached the final of the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol at ASIAD 20 and finished fourth.

Meanwhile, Lê Thị Mộng Tuyền made history as the first Vietnamese female rifle shooter to secure an official qualification place for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

In Doha, Tuyền has registered for four events, namely the women’s 10m air rifle, the women’s 50m rifle three positions, women’s 50m rifle prone and the mixed team 10m air rifle.

In addition, Phí Thanh Thảo and two young shooters, Nguyễn Minh Quang and Nguyễn Tâm Quang, are also included in the squad. The global tournament is expected to provide an opportunity for them to gain valuable experience in a highly competitive international environment.

The ISSF World Championship is one of the major events on the international shooting calendar this year. According to the entry list published by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) on October 3, the competition will bring together 1,055 shooters from 90 countries and territories across rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines.

The tournament will mark the beginning of the qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, with Olympic quota places available across 12 individual events. 

A total of 36 Olympic quota places will be available, with the first one to be awarded on November 3 and the final ones on November 12.

Each day featuring an Olympic event will therefore carry added significance as shooters begin their qualification campaigns for Los Angeles 2028. It is the largest allocation of Olympic quota places at a single event during the qualification cycle. — VNS event during the qualification cycle. — VNS