Bao Chau's collection of medals from her sports competitions - Photo: XV
From the swimming pool to the pickleball court
Born into a family with a tradition of education , Tran Huy Bao Chau showed a talent and passion for sports from a young age. In the third grade, Bao Chau's father took him to a local swimming center to improve his health. After a while, he learned to swim and demonstrated a talent far superior to his peers.
From then on, Bao Chau regularly practiced swimming, participating in swimming teams at the school, city, and provincial levels at the youth level. With her outstanding talent, she was called up to the provincial swimming team for professional training and competition, but due to family circumstances, Bao Chau could only train and compete at the amateur level.
Nevertheless, from 5th to 8th grade, Bao Chau participated in and won gold medals at swimming competitions for students at the city, provincial, and national levels, such as: a gold medal in the 50m freestyle event for elementary school students at the 9th Quang Binh (formerly) Provincial Sports Festival (2022). In 2024, participating in the National Phu Dong Sports Festival, Bao Chau won 3 bronze medals in the 100m freestyle, 100m breaststroke, and 200m women's relay events...
It was thought that swimming would be a part of Bao Chau's entire educational and fitness journey, but then, a turning point led the 14-year-old to pickleball in November 2024. That day, Bao Chau and her father went to swimming practice, but the pool was closed for renovations. Seeing this, Bao Chau's father, who had also played badminton, tennis, and pickleball very well, took her to the pickleball court to watch. At that time, her father's team was short of players, so they called Bao Chau to try out.
Mr. Tran Tu Luc, Bao Chau's father, recounted: "Although it was her first time playing, she received the ball quite accurately, and her movements were agile and supported by her stamina. From then on, I bought a racket and taught her the basic movements at home. After she got used to it, I took her to the training court. In just one month, she was performing the techniques correctly and practicing with other players in my club."
Despite her passion for sports, Bao Chau's academic performance remained unaffected. For eight consecutive years, she consistently achieved the title of outstanding student at her school, always ranking among the top students in her class. "I think practicing sports helps improve health. If you have good health, you will study well," Bao Chau shared.
Throughout her eight years of schooling, Tran Huy Bao Chau has consistently been an outstanding student, winning second prize twice in the city-level Literature competition and 11 school-level awards in various categories such as calligraphy, painting, and English. In terms of athletic achievements, she won three bronze medals in swimming at the 2024 National Phu Dong Sports Festival; and 17 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 4 bronze medals in swimming at provincial and city levels. In pickleball, Bao Chau has won numerous medals at domestic and international competitions. Besides swimming and pickleball, Bao Chau also excels in chess, Vovinam martial arts, sepak takraw, and track and field, achieving many successes in various competitions. |
Reaching continental heights
Having switched to pickleball less than a year ago, Bao Chau has demonstrated rare talent by quickly mastering techniques, possessing excellent physical fitness, and especially exhibiting a strong and persistent playing style. With the support of her family, she has quickly risen to prominence.
In 2025, Bao Chau participated in national youth pickleball tournaments and won many gold medals. With her outstanding achievements, in June 2025, she was officially selected to join the youth team of the People's Police Pickleball Club (under the Ministry of Public Security ).
This is an excellent environment that helps Bao Chau receive systematic training in a professional and disciplined manner, preparing him for international competitions. According to coaches, Bao Chau started pickleball late, but after only a few months, he has demonstrated excellent technical skills, tactical abilities, and competitive thinking. He is a promising young athlete with great potential for the future of Vietnamese pickleball.
Tran Huy Bao Chau (on the left) competing in a pickleball tournament - Photo: Provided by the interviewee.
The 2025 Asian Junior Pickleball Open, taking place in Da Nang City in July 2025, marks Bao Chau's first international competition. The tournament attracts 246 athletes from 12 countries worldwide, competing in the U12, U14, U16, and U18 age groups. Bao Chau will represent the People's Police Club in four events: U14 girls' singles, U14 girls' doubles, U16 girls' singles, and U16 girls' doubles.
In the U14 girls' doubles event, Bao Chau partnered with Pham Ngoc Ha Vi. After two group stage matches, they easily defeated the pair from India with a score of 11-5 and the pair from Ho Chi Minh City with a score of 11-2.
In the quarter-finals, the pair Bao Chau-Ha Vi easily defeated two athletes from Taiwan with a score of 11-0; in the semi-finals, they won against a domestic pair with a score of 11-1. Entering the final, they faced a pair of athletes from Thailand who were tall and strong, with longer pickleball playing times, and were considered strong contenders for the championship.
But with great determination, the Vietnamese pair competed confidently and skillfully, winning with a score of 15-7 to claim the championship. At this tournament, Bao Chau also excelled, winning two more silver medals in the U14 girls' singles and U16 girls' doubles events.
Bao Chau shared: “Due to the packed schedule, the coach devised strategies and tactics for us that were suitable for each match and opponent. In the final, our opponents were a pair of Thai athletes with a very strong playing style, often pushing the ball long to the ends of the court and taking the lead.”
To dampen our opponent's enthusiasm, we had to use our timeout to regain our composure, find ways to neutralize their attacks, and deliver decisive blows to secure the victory.
Bao Chau's first gold medal in pickleball at an international tournament is a well-deserved reward for her hard work. It's not only a source of joy and pride for her and her family, but it also inspires other children who share her passion for this sport.
Xuan Vuong
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/co-gai-vang-cua-pickleball-viet-nam-196202.htm
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