At the 2025 Women's World Boxing Championship held in Serbia this past March, Ha Thi Linh faced top-seeded Thananya Somnuek from Thailand in the 63kg semi-final. Despite her valiant efforts, the Vietnamese boxer was unable to pull off an upset.

Though she lost, Ha Thi Linh achieved a milestone in her career by winning her first-ever medal - a bronze - at the World Championship. This was also the only medal secured by Vietnam’s boxing team at the tournament.

“The bronze medal at the 2025 World Championship is truly a cherished memory for me. It was the first time I achieved such a result, and I deeply appreciate it,” Ha Thi Linh shared.

Upon returning to Vietnam, the Tay ethnic boxer immediately resumed her rigorous training and competition schedule. Most recently, she claimed the gold medal in the 63kg category at the 2025 National Elite Boxing Championship. Her victory was pivotal in helping the Hanoi women's team secure first place overall in the 19-40 women's age group.

At 32 years old, Ha Thi Linh remains fiercely passionate about competing. She admits that without sports, she might have taken a very different path, possibly working in factories or other unnoticed jobs.

“In 2025, my biggest goal is to excel at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand. I have a serious training plan with my teammates, following our coach’s guidance to achieve the highest results and bring pride to our country,” Ha Thi Linh said.

Historic Olympic ticket

At the 2024 Olympic qualifiers, only three spots were awarded to the best female boxers in the 60kg category. Ha Thi Linh ranked a modest 47th in the world boxing rankings, far behind her competitors.

In the bronze medal match - also a play-off for the final ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics - the 1993-born boxer faced Finland’s Vilma Viitannen (born 2002).

Despite her opponent’s youthful advantage, Ha Thi Linh fought with composure, defending tightly and landing precise punches. Drawing on nearly 20 years of ring experience, she triumphed 4-1, earning a coveted ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics. Overcome with emotion, Linh celebrated the realization of every athlete’s dream, and the fulfillment of her hard work.

At the Paris Olympics, Ha Thi Linh won her round of 32 match but was eliminated in the round of 16 by a Chinese opponent. Though the result was not as hoped, Linh gave it her all.

The courageous "mother of two"

Born in 1993, the youngest of three siblings in a Tay ethnic family in Muong Bat hamlet, Thong Nhat commune, Lao Cai province, Ha Thi Linh was initially selected by the sports department of Yen Bai province to train in volleyball in seventh grade.

However, after just about a year, she caught the attention of Hanoi’s boxing coaches, thanks to her natural martial arts talents.

Coach Nguyen Nhu Cuong, who discovered her, commented, "Linh has a tall, strong physique and excellent reflexes, making her very suited for boxing." Her difficult family circumstances further fueled her drive to succeed.

After nearly two decades of dedication, Linh’s career highlights include SEA Games gold medals, a bronze at the 2015 Asian Championship, a ticket to the 2024 Olympics, and recently, a bronze medal at the World Championship.

Ha Thi Linh stands out in Vietnamese sports as one of the rare athletes to have returned stronger after giving birth twice.

In 2018, just four months after giving birth and while still nursing, she resumed training. Her hard work paid off with a gold medal in the women's 69kg category at the 2018 National Sports Festival.

Four years later, she stunned the sports community again by returning even stronger after her second childbirth. Along with another National Sports Festival gold, she won the SEA Games 32 gold medal in Cambodia in 2023. Her second SEA Games gold, won a decade after her first, solidified her legend as a 30-year-old mother of two who conquered the ring.

To achieve her global success, Ha Thi Linh had to make immense sacrifices. She trained and competed tirelessly, even when her children were still breastfeeding. Her greatest motivation was her children. Even while away training or competing, Linh always made time to video call them. Hearing her children ask when she would come home only strengthened her resolve.

“Currently, my husband and children live in Lao Cai while I train in Hanoi. Unless there’s a tournament or training camp, I arrange to visit my family once every weekend, even if just for a day.

Because of this, my husband handles most of the household chores and child-rearing. Hearing my children’s laughter every day makes all my fatigue disappear,” Ha Thi Linh confided.

Dai Nam