HO CHI MINH CITY - Vietnamese marksman Hoang Xuan Vinh is placed second in the latest men's 50m pistol world rankings by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), after South Korea's Jin Jongoh, local newspaper Vietnam News reported Monday.

On May 15, the 41-year-old Vietnamese shooter won a bronze medal in the same category at the ISSF World Shooting Cup in the United States.

Last year, Vinh was placed first in the men's 10m pistol event by ISSF. This is the first time in Vietnamese sporting history that a Vietnamese shooter has jumped to the top spot in world rankings.

Vinh is currently Vietnam's most promising candidate to win gold medals in both individual and team events at the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

At the 27th Games in Myanmar two years ago, Vinh won three gold medals.