Dinh Anh Hoang: From young hope to pillar of Vietnamese table tennis

At the recent 2025 National Table Tennis Tournament, the CAND – T&T table tennis team dominated with 3 gold medals, 3 silver medals and 3 bronze medals. As for Dinh Anh Hoang, the player born in 2001 from Dak Lak, he was the most outstanding player of the tournament.

In addition to the 3 gold medals in the men's doubles, men's team, and mixed doubles, Dinh Anh Hoang also won a silver medal in the men's singles, only losing to his senior Duc Tuan in the final match. But more than the number of medals, what remains in the audience is the image of a young, ambitious player, who is growing up to become one of the pillars of Vietnamese table tennis for many years to come.

Đinh Anh Hoàng: Từ niềm hy vọng trẻ đến trụ cột của bóng bàn Việt Nam

- Ảnh 1. — Dinh Anh Hoang is receiving a lot of expectations.

The journey of hard work to reach the heights

In 2008, the Hanoi T&T Table Tennis Club had just been established not long ago. Coach Vu Manh Cuong traveled all over the provinces to look for young talents and he stopped for a long time when he saw the boy Dinh Anh Hoang playing very well in the National Children's Tournament. Coach Vu Manh Cuong immediately convinced his family to allow the boy to come from Dak Lak to Hanoi to pursue a professional table tennis career.

At that time, Dinh Anh Hoang was only a 7-year-old boy. Stepping out of his childhood comfort zone, Dinh Anh Hoang quickly immersed himself in the harsh training environment at the table tennis training center of Mr. Hien. Under the guidance of good teachers, especially the legendary Vu Manh Cuong, after only a few years of basic training, Dinh Anh Hoang quickly rose to become a pillar of the team, continuously winning medals in youth and national tournaments.

In the eyes of experts, Anh Hoang's outstanding strengths are his speed and ability to quickly catch up. Coach Vu Manh Cuong once affirmed: "Whenever the coaching staff gives instructions on any shot, Hoang can execute it very well, demonstrating quick thinking and the ability to grasp tactics."

This ability helps Anh Hoang not only be a player who knows how to hit, but also a player who understands how to play. Each of Hoang’s shots is proactive, showing calculation rather than just an instinctive reaction. This is the necessary quality for a player to be able to go far in the big tournaments.

Behind the image of a confident young tennis player on the court is a rare disciplined and professional lifestyle. Mr. Hoang rarely skips any training session, regardless of health or weather conditions. In daily life, he minimizes habits that can affect his performance, from nutrition, rest to time management.

"Cultivating a talented athlete is not only based on technique, but also on long-term preparation in life. Hoang has a very good awareness of this, and it is that professionalism that helps him improve himself day by day," coach Vu Manh Cuong said about the student he considers as his son.

Đinh Anh Hoàng: Từ niềm hy vọng trẻ đến trụ cột của bóng bàn Việt Nam

- Ảnh 2. — Dinh Anh Hoang always practices and lives professionally to achieve success.

To the national champion, SEA Games

In 2023, at the 32nd SEA Games, Dinh Anh Hoang stepped up to the top of regional glory for the first time when he and his teammate Mai Ngoc won the mixed doubles gold medal. It was the gold medal that Vietnamese table tennis had been waiting for for 26 years, since the historic achievement of coach Vu Manh Cuong.

For a player in his early twenties, that moment was a turning point for Anh Hoang to be mentioned as a special talent. After winning the 32nd SEA Games, Dinh Anh Hoang has grown and flourished. Notably, also in 2023, Hanoi T&T Table Tennis Club joined hands with the Police Sports Association. The CAND - T&T Table Tennis Club was born, becoming a launching pad for not only Anh Hoang, but also other excellent teammates such as Mai Ngoc and Dinh Duc.

Đinh Anh Hoàng: Từ niềm hy vọng trẻ đến trụ cột của bóng bàn Việt Nam

- Ảnh 3. — CAND – T&T Table Tennis Club, the place that "gave wings" to Dinh Anh Hoang to fly high

With the thorough investment of T&T Group and the strict management of the police force, athletes like Anh Hoang are given the best conditions: salary, bonus, training and competition regime. This helps him to focus on table tennis, instead of worrying about non-professional issues.

In April 2025, right before the 2025 National Table Tennis Championship, 12 athletes of the CAND T&T Club, including Anh Hoang, Dinh Duc, and Mai Ngoc, went on a long-term training trip to China - the world's leading country in table tennis.

During the training in the host country, Anh Hoang and the athletes of the CAND T&T Club trained and competed with many world-class athletes, and received very scientific nutritional and medical care. As a result, after returning home, the achievements of the above athletes immediately changed. At the 2025 National Championship, Anh Hoang for the first time overwhelmingly defeated Vietnam's No. 1 tennis player, Nguyen Anh Tu, to win the Gold Medal in the men's singles.

Although he won the 32nd SEA Games with Mai Ngoc, Anh Hoang's path to regional success will certainly not be easy. Southeast Asian table tennis still has strong opponents from Thailand and Singapore; while Malaysia is on par with Vietnam. That means, to repeat the gold medal achievement at the 33rd SEA Games, which will take place at the end of this year in Thailand, Anh Hoang and his teammates must maintain their form and even improve day by day.

At the end of October, the national tournament gathering excellent tennis players in Hai Phong will be an important practice session. This is considered a "general rehearsal" for the coaching staff to verify their performance and tactics before entering the SEA Games 33 arena. For Dinh Anh Hoang, it is also an opportunity to prove his stability - a factor that any champion must possess.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dinh-anh-hoang-tu-niem-hy-vong-tre-den-tru-cot-cua-bong-ban-viet-nam-185250929143813375.htm