Sea Games 32 table tennis gold medal couple: We understand each other like brothers

The pair Dinh Anh Hoang (21 years old) and Tran Mai Ngoc (19 years old) helped Vietnamese table tennis (mixed doubles) win a historic SEA Games gold medal after 26 years of waiting, after an excellent journey of competition. And in many important moments, when they should have had psychological problems, their carefree attitude helped the two athletes overcome the pressure and bring glory to the country.

Couple Dinh Anh Hoang (21 years old) and Tran Mai Ngoc (19 years old).

Reporter: How did the journey of you two playing doubles begin? And why were you two paired together and not with someone else?

Tran Mai Ngoc: The first time we paired up and played together was in 2019.

Dinh Anh Hoang: Because they are two young, potential athletes of the T&T Club, the teacher paired them up to achieve further goals.

The couple Dinh Anh Hoang (21 years old) and Tran Mai Ngoc (19 years old) helped Vietnamese table tennis (mixed doubles) win a historic SEA Games gold medal after 26 years of waiting.

Reporter: Two young athletes, individual talent is one thing, but pairing them together is another story. So have there been any problems or difficulties in the process of cooperation between the two of you?

Dinh Anh Hoang: Yes, brother (laughs). Because we are young, and since we have just been paired together, our expertise is not enough, so sometimes we have to play with more spirit and youthful energy than brother.

We get along well when we play together, but we’ve only just started playing together, so we don’t understand each other very well. This SEA Games is the first time we’ve teamed up to play abroad, and now that we’ve had a fair amount of time to play together, we understand each other better, from more perspectives.

But to talk about difficulties, there are also psychological problems. There are times when we have problems or family issues, so we can't compete well. We also talk and encourage each other. To me, Ngoc is like me, and to Ngoc, I am a brother on the team to try harder.

"Professionally, there are no problems, but in terms of daily life, Ngoc is a woman so it is more difficult, while the coaching staff are all men. Many times the teachers do not understand the psychology of the children, or sometimes they are sick... During Tet, Ngoc went home to visit her family, she was 10 years old at that time, but after the holiday ended, she had to return to Hanoi to practice. Ngoc cried a lot because she missed home, so much that when she went to the airport to pick up the children to return to the club, the children still cried, sometimes for weeks."

Coach Vu Manh Cuong

Reporter: Let's talk a little about when you first started playing table tennis. Was it a love you had since you were little?

Tran Mai Ngoc: I joined the club in 2013. When I was a kid, I wasn't really that passionate about table tennis. At that time, my mom let me try playing table tennis to see if I liked it. Then I tried it out and felt a bit interested, and later on, the coach invited me to join the club.

Dinh Anh Hoang : I joined the club a little earlier than Ngoc, about 13 years ago. My father taught me how to play table tennis since I was little and I practiced in my home province. Then I was accepted into the T&T Club for basic training.

Reporter: Having to be away from family since childhood, then practicing and living in the club How do two very young athletes feel?

Tran Mai Ngoc : When I first came here, I missed home a little, but later it got better. There were times during Tet when I could go home to visit my family.

Dinh Anh Hoang : At first, when we came here and lived in a collective, we missed home, missed our parents, and had to be independent in everything. But the good thing is that we lived together for a long time and felt very happy like a family. However, over the years, things have changed a lot, especially in terms of facilities. When we first joined the club, there were quite a few members, and the facilities were not as good as they are now, and there were many things missing. Now, there are many young people, a lot of youth teams, and even older uncles and aunts, so the conditions are much better than before.

Reporter: The intensity of training at the club, especially before tournaments, is understandable. But is there anything different about being a student of Mr. Cuong (athlete Vu Manh Cuong, who brought home the first gold medal for Vietnamese table tennis in the mixed doubles event at the SEA Games 26 years ago)?

Dinh Anh Hoang : It was also very strict because our head coach, Mr. Cuong, was very strict in training. He was easy-going and enthusiastic with everyone else, but he was only “difficult” with us. When practicing, we were often stressed because he yelled at us.

Reporter: Are you angry with me for being so difficult?

Tran Mai Ngoc : No, we are not angry.

Dinh Anh Hoang: Yes. When I was young, if someone yelled at me, I would get so angry. It would be wrong to say I didn't get angry. But in the long run, we understood the teacher and his wishes for the group. This is also what made us who we are today.

I am very disciplined and value discipline. Outside of practice, all the teachers and students get along well and share joys and sorrows, but when we are in the practice room, I am very strict. Especially with athletes like Dinh Anh Hoang and Tran Mai Ngoc, if there are technical problems that they cannot meet despite having practiced a lot, we often remind them, and sometimes even have to raise our voices. Because if I were not strict and disciplined, these two athletes would not have today.

Reporter: So how do you two see each other's personalities? Are they much different on stage and in real life?

Dinh Anh Hoang: I find Ngoc strong, cold and a bit... crazy (laughs). But Ngoc has something that I find special, which is her carefree, not thinking too much, so when there are decisions that make people feel pressured, she handles them very well, without being affected much. Like sometimes there are situations where thinking too much becomes pressure, but Ngoc is very comfortable.

Reporter: If you had to use one word to describe your relationship during the competition, what would it be?

Dinh Anh Hoang: Brothers? (laughs). I think it's like that. I think it's like brothers on the same team, same faction. I understand Ngoc's technique and Ngoc also understands my technique, so when we compete, we're in sync. Sometimes, just by looking at the situation, we can tell if we've made a mistake or not.

Reporter: A somewhat personal question, do you two have any special wishes or goals outside of table tennis that you want to achieve? Especially with the support of the awards given to medal-winning athletes in recent times?

Tran Mai Ngoc : I will only put this prize in my savings book. I will try to compete to win more prizes and then put it in my book. If I want to do anything in the future, I can open that savings book to use.

Dinh Anh Hoang: Right now, I don't need to use much money, I just focus on my expertise, so I'm just saving. As for the goal of being loved by fans, we will try to do better, improve more so that everyone can be happy and joyful when coming to Vietnamese table tennis.

Reporter: Thank you both for participating in the conversation. I wish you both good health and confidence to continue your passion.

Director: Ngo Viet Anh Content: Trung Hieu Presented by: Duong Duong Photo: Provided by the character Production date: May 26, 2023

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