Vietnam's No. 1 badminton pair absent from SEA Games 33: Big question mark for fans

The departure ceremony of the Vietnamese Sports Delegation on November 28 officially announced the list of athletes participating in the 33rd SEA Games. In badminton, the list of 11 members quickly became the center of debate when it was missing the number 1 pair in the men's doubles: Nguyen Dinh Hoang and Tran Dinh Manh of Lam Dong.

This was a big surprise, because throughout 2025, Hoang - Manh were the most progressive duo in Vietnamese badminton, marking many historical milestones that no domestic pair had ever reached.

High performance but not given the opportunity

The year 2025 marked an incredible leap forward for Hoang and Manh. Their obvious maturity from international competition experience, confidence in their playing style and solid physical foundation helped them overcome many strong opponents to achieve breakthrough results.

Vietnam's number 1 badminton pair Nguyen Dinh Hoang and Tran Dinh Manh ( Lam Dong ) are absent from SEA Games 33, raising big questions for fans.

Most importantly, a historic first win at the 2025 World Championships in Paris, where they became the first Vietnamese men's doubles pair to win a tournament considered to be very tough.

Not stopping there, the pair also won the Vietnam International Challenge 2025 – a title that no Vietnamese men’s pair had ever won at the Challenge level; won the national men’s doubles title; won two international runner-ups in the International Series system; and reached the quarterfinals of the Vietnam Open, a tournament with very high professional quality. Thanks to this impressive series of results, the Lam Dong duo rose to 90th in the world, the best position that Vietnam has ever had in the men’s doubles event.

However, when the list of SEA Games 33 was announced, that sublimation did not translate into competition opportunities. From a management perspective, the reason given revolved around the mechanism of tightening medal quotas.

This SEA Games requires athletes to register specific targets, especially for Olympic sports. Vietnamese badminton only registered targets in two events, women's singles and women's team, both aiming for a bronze medal. Events without targets, including men's doubles, mixed doubles and men's team, were almost not prioritized for registration. Therefore, despite being the number 1 men's doubles team in the country, Hoang and Manh were still not on the list, because they did not belong to the group of events with specific targets and were not considered capable of winning medals against strong opponents such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Throughout 2025, Dinh Hoang - Dinh Manh will be the most progressive duo of Vietnamese badminton, marking many historical milestones that no domestic pair has ever reached.

What makes the public more concerned is that even though they could have participated through socialized sources, the duo was still not approved to register. The Lam Dong badminton representative and the sponsor affirmed that they had prepared enough funds, but the proposal was still rejected. Meanwhile, the two men's singles players Hai Dang and Duc Phat were allowed to participate in the SEA Games through socialized sources, showing that the problem does not lie in finances but stems from the organization and orientation of the team.

Controversial decisions and concerns about development direction

The absence of Hoang and Manh is not only surprising but also raises a series of questions about the selection mechanism and the courage in giving opportunities. Some opinions in the professional community frankly think that perhaps those responsible for finalizing the list are too cautious, or are afraid of being held responsible if the results do not meet expectations. When the 33rd SEA Games tightened the requirements for medal quotas, the selection of athletes sometimes no longer depends on performance or development potential but is instead influenced by a safe mentality, choosing the direction with the least risk. This unintentionally holds back the faces that are on the way to progress - of which Hoang and Manh are the clearest example.

Former player Pham Cao Cuong said that the Vietnam Badminton Federation needs to speak up to explain clearly, to avoid causing misunderstandings or creating a wave of negative debate. Former player Tran Quoc Viet, one of the athletes who played for the national team, also expressed shock when he said that Hoang and Manh have made great progress in the past few years and achieved achievements that no other pair has achieved, so it is difficult to accept that they cannot compete in the SEA Games.

Not only keeping the No. 1 position in Vietnam, the Lam Dong duo rose to 90th in the world, the best position Vietnam has ever had in men's doubles.

From a long-term perspective, this story shows the problem in the direction of force development. SEA Games is not only a playground for achievements but also an important environment for young athletes and potential duos to accumulate experience. The fact that the team did not participate in all three events of men's doubles, mixed doubles and men's team is a rare thing in many years, reflecting a worrying gap in force. And when the most progressive duo of Vietnam was not given the opportunity at an important tournament, the concern of fans is understandable.

In badminton, the list of 11 members quickly became the center of debate when it lacked the number 1 pair in the men's doubles, Nguyen Dinh Hoang and Tran Dinh Manh of Lam Dong.

When the current explanations are still not convincing enough, what fans are looking forward to now is transparency in the selection process and a clearer direction for athlete development. Because the story of Hoang - Manh is not only the story of two individuals, but also linked to the future of the men's doubles and the long-term vision of Vietnamese badminton.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/cap-doi-so-1-cau-long-viet-nam-vang-mat-tai-sea-games-33-dau-hoi-lon-cho-nguoi-ham-mo-406106.html