Taiwanese (Chinese Taipei) athlete Wu I Chi, whose mother is Vietnamese, expressed her desire to become a Vietnamese citizen and compete under the name of a Vietnamese athlete - Photo: Hai Duong Newspaper
In recent days, the Vietnamese table tennis community has been abuzz with news that a female athlete from Taiwan (China), whose mother is Vietnamese, wants to obtain Vietnamese citizenship in order to compete for the Vietnamese table tennis team.
This female athlete is known to have been a member of the Taiwanese junior table tennis team. If her naturalization is successful, she hopes to compete as a Vietnamese table tennis player, participating in international tournaments and accumulating points with the goal of qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
According to Tuoi Tre Online 's investigation , this Taiwanese (Chinese) female athlete is Wu I Chi, under 18 years old. Currently, she has not appeared on the world rankings of female tennis players (including juniors), so specific information about her is not widely known.
Wu I Chi's most recent achievement is a gold medal in the women's singles and a bronze medal in the women's team at the 2024 Kunshan International Table Tennis Cup, held from September 8 to 11, 2024 in Hai Duong province.
Wu I Chi's mother is Vietnamese, and her family has expressed a desire for her to obtain Vietnamese citizenship. If successful, she would be able to compete as a Vietnamese athlete. Her family would cover the expenses for her to participate in international competitions.
Speaking to Tuổi Trẻ about the case of athlete Wu I Chi, the General Secretary of the Vietnam Table Tennis Federation, Nguyen Nam Hai, shared: "We have received information and a request from Wu I Chi's family regarding their desire for him to obtain Vietnamese citizenship because his mother is Vietnamese. If the naturalization is successful, he hopes to compete as a Vietnamese table tennis player. Currently, his skill level is on par with current Vietnamese table tennis players."
The process of obtaining Vietnamese citizenship is handled by the athlete and their family. If the athlete successfully obtains Vietnamese citizenship and wishes to compete in table tennis, the Vietnam Table Tennis Federation (VTTF) will assist with the procedures to register Wu I Chi to compete."
However, Mr. Nguyen Nam Hai affirmed that naturalization, as well as other legal issues, depend on the athlete and their family. If the naturalization process is successful, Wu I Chi will still only be a Vietnamese table tennis player. Whether she will be called up to the national table tennis team and represent Vietnam in international competitions is another matter, depending on the athlete's abilities.
According to regulations, the decision to call up an athlete to the national team rests with the Department of Physical Education and Sports .
In the sports sector's program for developing key sports in preparation for the Olympics and Asian Games from 2026-2046, naturalizing exceptionally talented athletes of Vietnamese descent is one of the directions for developing high-performance sports. However, these athletes are assessed to possess exceptional, outstanding talent.
According to table tennis experts, Wu I Chi's skill level is comparable to that of current Vietnamese players; he is not particularly outstanding.
Tuoitre.vn
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bong-ban-viet-nam-se-co-vdv-viet-kieu-tu-dai-loan-trung-quoc-20250304161159231.htm#content
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