Fencer tells police teammate assaulted him

The incident took place at the Hanoi Sports Training Center on the morning of September 23.

According to Quyet, 25, he was taking a break when An suddenly punched him in the head and used a training saber to hit him hard in the back and head, drawing bleed and sending him to hospital.

The fencing team coaches confirmed there was an altercation between the two men.

An admitted he was angry and attacked Quyet. The 30-year-old said Quyet had not been focusing on training and threw his helmet away and cursed in front of many people when questioned.

But he was wearing protective gear at that time, he said.

On Monday night Quyet said he was still in the hospital.

Quyet told VnExpress: “An said I was not practicing seriously but that is not the truth.”

He said the attack “was really painful… Then he cursed me and swung the sword at me while I had no protective gear.

“Many teammates and coaches witnessed the incident.”

He also said An lied when he said he tried to call him to apologize but could not reach him.

“An and his family have not said a word to me since I was hospitalized.”

Thanh An is a star of Vietnamese fencing, having won five SEA Games gold medals and competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

At the last SEA Games in May this year An, Quyet and their teammates won the team saber gold for Vietnam.