Even after defeating the pair Eljey Tormis/Rose de la Torre (Philippines) and then beating Choong Javen/Karen Lyne (Malaysia) to get a ticket to the semi-finals of the mixed doubles event, Anh Hoang and Mai Ngoc are still only considered a temporary "phenomenon".
Mr. Hoang is 21 years old and Mai Ngoc is only 19, too young for the regional competition, especially in a category that gathers many good players.
Mai Ngoc is 19 years old and Anh Hoang is 21 years old, taking on the responsibility for Vietnamese table tennis.
Their opponents in the semi-finals are the Thai championship candidates Sarayut Tancharoen/ Wanwisa Aueawiriyayothin, the 30-year-old man is very experienced and the woman is a rising player in the land of the Golden Temple. It seems that there is no chance for the two young Vietnamese players, except for the element of surprise…
They eliminated the Thai championship candidate in the semi-finals.
But the unexpected happened in a way no one expected…
Facing extremely strong opponents, the two Vietnamese players played excellently and created many difficulties for their opponents.
Mai Ngoc and Anh Hoang put a lot of pressure right in the first game, causing Sarayut/Wanwisa to make many mistakes and lose 5-11.
In the next game, Mai Ngoc and Anh Hoang continued to play brilliantly, winning with the same score. In the third game, the Vietnamese pair raced to the finish line with an 11-5 victory, thereby winning the right to enter the final.
Young tennis duo confidently competes against very strong players
History repeated itself after 24 years with Vietnamese table tennis with the great performance of Anh Hoang and Mai Ngoc. Receiving a bonus of 1,500 USD from the Vietnam Table Tennis Federation after the semi-final match, both entered the final match with a sense of calm and relief, although they had a little more hope.
Facing another strong contender, Clarence Zhe Yu Chew/Jian Zeng, the two Vietnamese players forced their opponents to chase but in the end still lost 11-13.
Scores appear with high frequency
Mai Ngoc is meticulous in every attack.
Riding on the momentum, Mai Ngoc - Anh Hoang continued to play with determination and won the second game 11-8.
In the third game, Clarence Zhe Yu Chew/Jian Zeng fought hard and recovered to 11-8, igniting hope of turning the situation around. However, the fourth game was similar to the first game with the two Singaporean players chasing each other.
At the deciding point, the opponent missed and the mixed doubles final ended with an emotional 3-1 victory (13-11, 11-8, 8-11 and 14-12) for Mai Ngoc - Anh Hoang.
The crucial score is 12-12 in the fourth game.
...and burst into tears when they beat the Singaporean pair after 4 sets in the final
This is the first and possibly only gold medal of Vietnamese table tennis at the 32nd SEA Games. 24 years ago, Vu Manh Cuong/Ngo Thu Thuy won the mixed doubles at the 1999 SEA Games and this feat has never been repeated until Anh Hoang and Mai Ngoc appeared in Cambodia this year.
Former SEA Games champion Vu Manh Cuong is the teacher of Mai Ngoc and Anh Hoang at T&T Club.
Sharing joy with coach Dinh Quang Linh
Win to be champion
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