Nguyen Thuy Linh's joy on the day of her military service was not complete.
On the opening day of Vietnam badminton at the 33rd SEA Games, Nguyen Thuy Linh was the only athlete to bring home a victory. The Vietnamese player made a spectacular comeback and won 2-1 against the number 1 player of the Malaysian women's team - Karupathevan Letshanaa. In this match, Thuy Linh lost the first set, but then she overwhelmingly won the second set. In the decisive third set, the experience and bravery of the player from Phu Tho was clearly demonstrated. At times, Thuy Linh was down 5 points to her opponent, but the Vietnamese player still persistently chased and saved the "match point" twice, before winning the final match in a dramatic way.
Nguyen Thuy Linh is the biggest hope of Vietnamese badminton at the 33rd SEA Games.
PHOTO: NHAT THINH
Talking to Thanh Nien reporter, head coach of Vietnam badminton team Ngo Trung Dung said: "For Thuy Linh herself, the pressure is quite big. Linh is one of the athletes assigned by the coaching staff to compete in both singles and doubles matches. In the first game, Linh was a bit nervous, but then the coaching staff and she overcame the match and brought home the victory. Honestly speaking, there are many matches in which Linh came from behind to win. In the past, even when facing the world's top athletes, Linh also did the same thing."
Nguyen Thuy Linh's efforts were not enough for the Vietnamese women's badminton team to reach the semi-finals, losing 1-3 to Malaysia. However, the journey of the Vietnamese badminton team has not ended yet. The Vietnamese players will now focus all their efforts on the men's and women's individual events. Vietnamese badminton has 4 faces competing in the individual events including: Le Duc Phat, Nguyen Hai Dang (men), Nguyen Thuy Linh, Tran Thi Phuong Thuy (women).
Previously, Phuong Thuy was unfortunately injured during the practice session on the afternoon of December 6. That was also the reason why this tennis player could not participate in the singles match of the women's team event that took place yesterday morning (December 7), leading to the coaching staff's plan not going as planned. Hopefully, by the time the women's individual event competes on December 11, Phuong Thuy will have recovered in time to play on the field. Meanwhile, the men's individual event will also start on December 11. According to the head coach of the Vietnamese team, it will not be until December 10 that the opponents of the Vietnamese tennis players in the individual event will be determined. "In the women's individual event, the coaching staff and fans will also put their trust in Nguyen Thuy Linh. As for the men's singles, the SEA Games arena gathers most of the world's top athletes. However, the two Vietnamese athletes, Le Duc Phat and Nguyen Hai Dang, will try their best," coach Ngo Trung Dung shared.
At present, Nguyen Thuy Linh is a badminton player who is considered capable of competing for a medal for Vietnamese badminton at this regional sports festival. The 28-year-old female athlete is at the peak of her career and is showing stable performance. In 2025, the Phu Tho-born athlete excellently entered the women's singles finals of the World Tour Super 300 tournament 4 times, within the competition system of the Badminton World Federation (BWF). She also rose to 17th in the world for the first time in her career and had impressive victories against strong opponents. In Southeast Asia at the moment, Nguyen Thuy Linh is ranked 22nd in the world, behind athletes such as Pornpawee Chochuwong (Thailand, ranked 6th), Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand, ranked 8th), Mariska Tunjung (Indonesia, ranked 10th), Supanida Katethong (Thailand, ranked 12th), Busanan Ongbamrungphan (Thailand, ranked 15th), Yeo Jia Min (Singapore, ranked 18th).
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hoi-hop-cho-nguyen-thuy-linh-the-hien-ban-linh-canh-trang-huy-chuong-sea-games-185251207224403561.htm
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