Silver medal and a milestone in the return of the Vietnamese men's table tennis team to the team event.

The men's team table tennis final at the 33rd SEA Games between Vietnam and Singapore ended with much regret, despite the Vietnamese players' tenacious performance until the very last points.

The Vietnamese men's table tennis team won the Silver Medal at the 33rd SEA Games.

The Vietnamese table tennis team was unable to overcome their traditional regional rival, accepting a narrow 2-3 defeat and winning the Silver Medal.

Entering the decisive match, the Vietnamese team carried high expectations after their convincing 3-0 victory over Malaysia in the semi-finals. This result allowed the Vietnamese men's table tennis team to reach the men's team final at the SEA Games for the first time in eight years, since their historic gold medal win in the 2017 Games.

Athlete Nguyen Anh Tu.

Nguyen Anh Tu was chosen to play the opening match and performed well, defeating Pang Yew En Koen 3-1. Despite losing the first set, the experienced Vietnamese player showed consistency and composure to win the next three sets, giving his teammates a crucial advantage.

In the second singles match, Dinh Anh Hoang faced Quek Yong Izaac, a young player considered a new pillar of Singaporean table tennis. Against an opponent with superior technique and speed, Anh Hoang was unable to create an upset and lost 0-3, leveling the overall score.

Hope remained for the Vietnamese team in the third singles match. Nguyen Duc Tuan played confidently against Josh Chua, even as the Singaporean player suffered an injury and required medical attention mid-match. Although his opponent endured the pain and returned to play, Duc Tuan capitalized on the opportunity, winning 3-1 to give Vietnam a 2-1 lead.

Athlete Nguyen Duc Tuan.

The match then became tense as the two teams entered the decisive singles matches. Nguyen Anh Tu was given the responsibility in the fourth match, facing Quek Yong Izaac. Despite his best efforts and winning one set, the veteran Vietnamese player could not prevent his opponent from bringing the final back to a 2-2 tie.

The fifth singles match took place when play was already well into the night, placing all the pressure on Dinh Anh Hoang's shoulders in his confrontation with Pang Yew En Koen. The young Vietnamese player started strongly, winning the first set convincingly. However, Pang Yew En Koen showed experience and composure at crucial moments, winning the set 3-1 to seal a 3-2 victory for Singapore.

Nguyen Duc Tuan's opponent, Josh Chua, a Singaporean player, suffered an injury and required medical attention during the match.

The defeat in the final meant the Vietnamese men's table tennis team couldn't repeat their feat of winning a gold medal at the 29th SEA Games. Nevertheless, their journey to the men's team final was still significant, marking the return of Vietnamese men's table tennis to the highest level of competition in the region after many years of waiting.

The silver medal at the 33rd SEA Games demonstrates the progress in the depth of the Vietnamese team's talent, organizational skills, and competitive spirit. The combination of experienced players and young athletes creates an important foundation for long-term goals, in the context of increasingly fierce competition in regional table tennis.

The athletes are on the podium receiving their medals.

Although they couldn't reach the top of the podium in the men's team event, Vietnamese table tennis still left its mark with its tenacious fighting spirit and a remarkable return to the final after an 8-year absence. This is seen as a foundation for the team to continue aiming for higher goals in future tournaments.

HOAI THU

Source: https://nhandan.vn/huy-chuong-bac-va-dau-moc-tro-lai-noi-dung-dong-doi-cua-bong-ban-nam-viet-nam-post930493.html