Fencer Vu Thanh An received the honour not only because of his ideal height of 1.87 metres and bright face but also because of the exceptional results he has achieved at international competitions in recent years. He was previously chosen as flag bearer at the opening ceremony of SEA Games 29 in Malaysia in 2017 and SEA Games 30 in the Philippines in 2019. Vu Thanh An is Southeast Asia’s No 1 fencer, winning five gold medals at three consecutive SEA Games from 2015 to 2019. In 2016, he opened a new chapter in the history of Vietnamese fencing, winning a bronze medal at the Asian Championships and then attending the Rio Olympics. He and his teammates have been training hard to do well at this year’s home-based SEA Games. The Hanoian fencer is considered a “lucky flag bearer” for Vietnamese sports, as he also had the honour at the 2016 Rio Olympics and ASIAD 2018. On May 12, he will again carry the flag at the opening ceremony of SEA Games 31./.