E-Paper
Photos: The Vietnamese snowboarder training on sand dunes
Sun-kissed and shaggy-haired, Nguyen Thai Binh swaps his flip flops for bulky boots ahead of snowboarding practice on the sand dunes of southern Vietnam -- the unlikely training ground for the country's fledgling winter athletes with mountain-sized ambitions. Binh is one of Vietnam's top snowboarders, pioneering a push to boost winter sports in Southeast Asia where snowfall is virtually unheard of.
Updated on: May 29, 2019 11:53 AM IST
Share via
Copy link
1/8
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on May 29, 2019 11:53 AM
It’s been an uphill battle for athletes like him facing funding shortfalls, lack of public interest and few training facilities, namely snowy mountains. “This sport is so new for Vietnamese, and we don’t have any snow to practise on,” said 29-year-old Binh, looking California cool in a Quicksilver cap and bright boardshorts. (Manan Vatsyayana / AFP)
2/8
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on May 29, 2019 11:53 AM
Though Vietnam’s northern Sapa mountains see the occasional dusting in winter months, there are no snow slopes for aspiring skiers and snowboarders in the tropical country. Instead, Binh boards on the undulating sand dunes of Mui Ne, better known for picture-perfect vistas and breakneck ATV rides on offer for tourists in the sunny southern province of Binh Thuan. (Manan Vatsyayana / AFP)
3/8
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on May 29, 2019 11:53 AM
Binh made his international debut at the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan in 2017, joining Vietnam’s first-ever team to compete in the tournament long-dominated by Japan, South Korea and China. It was a lifelong dream for Binh who fell in love with sports as a scrawny kid, so skinny that he was taunted by classmates for looking like a drug addict. (Manan Vatsyayana / AFP)
4/8
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on May 29, 2019 11:53 AM
Like most of his teammates, the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo was his first time seeing snow. The skiers too had only ever trained on sand using tree branches as slalom poles on the sandy slopes of Mui Ne. “I was hesitant, I’d been practising on the sand dunes for a while so I had the technique, but the snow was so slippery,” Binh told AFP. (Manan Vatsyayana / AFP)
5/8
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on May 29, 2019 11:53 AM
It was an eventful week for the seven athletes who competed for Vietnam. Many didn’t have proper winter gear and froze if they stayed outside for too long. Skier Pham Tien Dat tumbled during slalom training, broke his shoulder and couldn’t compete. The Vietnamese journalists covering the games got sick and were hospitalised. As for sports junkie Binh, his other hobbies served him well in Sapporo. (Manan Vatsyayana / AFP)
6/8
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on May 29, 2019 11:53 AM
A tourist standing atop sand dunes in the southern Vietnamese town of Mui Ne. “Binh was a fast learner because of his longboarding and surfing skills,” said Le Quan, the Vietnam team coach. Vietnam walked away with no medals, but plenty of pride. “We went to Sapporo not aiming for a high ranking but to challenge ourselves,” Quan told AFP. (Manan Vatsyayana / AFP)
7/8
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on May 29, 2019 11:53 AM
Many athletes so far have been skaters, thanks to an increasing number of ice rinks in malls and sports centres. The main hurdle in warm weather countries is money. Vietnam’s government has put some money into skating and ice hockey, but Binh says snowboarding is struggling to develop “...because there’s no snow, and Vietnam doesn’t have much money to send athletes abroad to train.” (Manan Vatsyayana / AFP)
8/8
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on May 29, 2019 11:53 AM
