Draw for table tennis events at the 33rd SEA Games.

On December 11th, the Organizing Committee of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 33) held the draw for the table tennis events at Westgate Hall, Thailand.

The draw for the table tennis events at the 33rd SEA Games has taken place.

With all seven events completed, the draw determined the groups for the men's and women's team events, as well as the singles and doubles events, marking the beginning of the medal race for the teams in the region. The Vietnamese table tennis team is attracting attention as it enters the Games with a young, experienced squad and aims for a breakthrough after a lengthy preparation period spanning from 2024-2025.

In the men's team event, 8 teams are divided into 2 groups. Group A includes: Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Myanmar. Group B includes: Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, and Laos. Group A is considered balanced, with Singapore leading the region with 426 ITTF points, while the remaining teams all have the potential to compete for a semi-final spot. Vietnam has 24 ITTF points and is expected to spring a surprise thanks to its consistent performance and promising young squad.

For the women's team event, 6 teams are divided into 2 groups. Group A includes: Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Group B includes: Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Although facing Thailand - the defending champions, the Vietnamese women's team is still considered to have a great chance of reaching the semi-finals, especially with the current squad featuring many players who have shown significant improvement in the last two years.

In the women's singles event, a total of 13 athletes are divided into 4 groups. Nguyen Thi Nga competes in Group B, against Sawettabut Suthasini (Thailand) - a strong medal contender. Nguyen Khoa Dieu Khanh is in Group D, facing opponents from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Myanmar. Despite being in a challenging group, the two Vietnamese players are considered to have a high chance of making a breakthrough in the group stage.

The coaching staff of the Vietnamese table tennis team participating in the 33rd SEA Games.

Meanwhile, the men's singles competition features 16 athletes divided into 4 groups. Nguyen Anh Tu competes in Group B, facing players from Malaysia, Laos, and Myanmar. Nguyen Duc Tuan is in Group C, playing against the Philippines, Thailand, and Myanmar. Both are key players for the national team and aim to advance beyond the group stage to the semi-finals.

The men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles events are expected to make an impact thanks to teamwork and international competition experience. In men's doubles, the pair Nguyen Duc Tuan - Doan Ba ​​Tuan Anh (athlete code: VIE105/VIE102) are in a favorable bracket and will face the Philippines in their first match. The women's doubles pair Tran Mai Ngoc - Bui Ngoc Lan (athlete code: VIE205/VIE201) are considered to have the potential to advance far, having avoided many strong contenders from the early stages.

In the mixed doubles event, the pair Dinh Anh Hoang and Tran Mai Ngoc (athlete code: VIE101/VIE205) advanced directly to the first round and are considered one of the best mixed doubles pairs in Vietnam at this SEA Games.

The Vietnamese table tennis team has set high goals for the 33rd SEA Games with enthusiastic fighting spirit and thorough preparation. Their aim is to win medals in the singles and doubles events, compete strongly in the men's and women's team events, and spring surprises against top players in the region.

The representative of the Vietnamese delegation emphasized that this is a great challenge but also an opportunity for Vietnamese table tennis to affirm its position, and the athletes will compete with all their might for the national flag.

HOAI THU

Source: https://nhandan.vn/boc-tham-cac-noi-dung-thi-dau-mon-bong-ban-tai-sea-games-33-post929599.html