Linh Giang - Hoang Nam: From close teammates to online war of words

(Dan Tri) - Once the most compatible couple in the Vietnamese pickleball community, the relationship between tennis players Ly Hoang Nam and Trinh Giang has suddenly turned into a heated war of words on social media.

Hoang Nam and Linh Giang are considered symbols of friendship in the Vietnamese sports world. Starting from the national tennis court when they were only 11 years old, they have had more than 10 years of training and competing together.

Linh Giang and Hoang Nam celebrate their victory at the 2025 National Pickleball Tournament (Photo: AA).

This relationship continued to grow when both of them turned to pickleball and practiced together from the very beginning. Their admirable friendship and outstanding talent always made this couple receive special attention from fans.

The appearance of Hoang Nam and Linh Giang not only raised the level of professional skills but also attracted great attention from domestic pickleball fans. During their time together, the couple won 7 championships in large and small tournaments.

Notably, the "twin" pair were crowned together at the 2025 national pickleball championship, defeating strong opponents Phuc Huynh and Truong Vinh Hien with a score of 2-1 in the dramatic men's doubles under 35 final to affirm their position as No. 1 in Vietnam.

However, from the incident at the men's doubles final of the D-Joy Tour 2025 Leg 3, fans witnessed an unexpected and unfortunate development between two friends and fateful rivals.

Linh Giang (left) and Hoang Nam (right) won the men's doubles championship under 35 years old at the 2025 national pickleball tournament (Photo: AA).

On the evening of October 26, the D-Joy Tour 2025 Organizing Committee unexpectedly disqualified Trinh Linh Giang and his teammate Trieu "badminton" in the men's doubles because Trieu was absent for longer than the allotted time.

According to the Organizing Committee, because "badminton" Trieu's flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City was delayed due to bad weather, this tennis player arrived at the field 3 hours later than scheduled.

According to the rules, the Organizing Committee decided to disqualify Trieu "badminton" and Trinh Linh Giang, the men's doubles championship belonged to the pair Ly Hoang Nam - Le Xuan Duc. The incident quickly caused a big controversy about the professionalism of the athletes.

Social networks immediately "stirred up" with two opposing opinions: one side criticized "badminton" Trieu for being unprofessional, the other side defended him, saying he was just playing for passion.

Right at the center of the storm, Ly Hoang Nam (the winner) suddenly posted an article explaining the details of the incident from the perspective of an insider. This post not only attracted huge attention but also caused a fierce reaction, culminating in a public "argument" with his close friend Trinh Linh Giang, pushing the conflict to a climax.

In his post, Hoang Nam confirmed that he and Le Xuan Duc patiently waited for Trieu "badminton" until 9:30 p.m. on October 26, as announced by the Organizing Committee. "Because Trieu was still absent and his teammate Xuan Duc was tired, both agreed to withdraw."

Hoang Nam apologized to the audience, emphasizing that this decision was "for the health and team spirit". He also confirmed that Trinh Linh Giang was present and agreed with the decision to stop the match, denying the information that he "avoided".

However, just a few hours later, Trinh Linh Giang suddenly posted a status with hidden meaning: "TLG - Trieu. Episode 1: Already scared before anything happens". This post quickly attracted the attention of the online community. Some viewers thought that Linh Giang was implying that Hoang Nam "avoided" the match, not wanting to confront directly when "badminton" Trieu had just arrived on the court.

Both sides now used tense words, openly criticizing their opponents. The public exchange between Hoang Nam and Linh Giang created a big shock in the Vietnamese pickleball community.

By the afternoon of October 27, Hoang Nam and Linh Giang's posts had been deleted, but the echoes of the controversy were still spreading on pickleball forums.

"Badminton" Trieu - Trinh Linh Giang was disqualified, the men's doubles championship of the D-Joy Tour 2025 Leg 3 belonged to the pair Ly Hoang Nam - Le Xuan Duc (Photo: BTC).

Once close friends and long-time teammates, the two top tennis players' heated argument on social media has left fans extremely surprised and stunned.

This is a warning to athletes, even a moment of haste can seriously damage the friendships, image and reputation that you have worked so hard to build.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/linh-giang-hoang-nam-tu-dong-doi-than-thiet-den-man-khau-chien-tren-mang-20251027213108595.htm