With a spectacular victory over Myanmar, the Vietnamese taqball team won their first SEA Games medal.

The men's doubles team pulled off a surprise performance in an exciting teqball match against Myanmar.

Participating in the SEA Games 33 for the first time, the Vietnamese teqball team, knowing their strengths and weaknesses, proactively set modest goals. Team leader Tran Duy Kham commented: "Compared to other teams in Southeast Asia, we are new to this sport. While the players have quickly grasped the techniques, they lack international competition experience, which has somewhat affected their performance. Because our opponents are very strong, we decided to just play our best to see where we stand. At best, we hope to win a medal; that would be a great source of happiness and momentum for the future."

The aspirations of the Vietnamese national team in the teqball competition seemed unfulfilled when, on the first day, December 11th, they were eliminated early from the men's singles, women's singles, and mixed doubles events. Only their main player, Ba Truong Giang, managed to win one match against Laos, while other players like Trinh Gia Nghi and Nguyen Tra My lost two to three matches each, much to their disappointment. This was due to their limited skill level and lack of experience against opponents from Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Thắng ngoạn mục Myanmar, đội tuyển teqball Việt Nam lần đầu có huy chương SEA Games- Ảnh 1. — The impressive victory of the Vietnamese men's teqball doubles.

Undeterred by the fact that only the men's and women's doubles events remained on the morning of December 12th, especially after being drawn into the same group as host nation Thailand, a team considered very strong in this category, the Vietnamese athletes encouraged each other to play well in every match to find an opportunity. In their first men's doubles match, Le Anh Khoa and Ba Truong Giang easily lost to the Thais, leaving them with only hope for a place in the semi-finals against the Myanmar pair (Vietnam's group has three teams).

Thắng ngoạn mục Myanmar, đội tuyển teqball Việt Nam lần đầu có huy chương SEA Games- Ảnh 2. — An emotional victory, a breathtaking knockout of the opponent.

The Myanmar team, with their two athletes Than Zin Oo and Khin Maung Htoo, were stronger than us, but from the start of the match, the teqball coaching staff quickly recognized their weakness: they were only proficient with one foot. According to the rules of teqball, if the previous action used the right foot, the subsequent action must use the left foot or another part of the body such as the shoulder, chest, thigh, or head; only the hands are not allowed. Since the Myanmar pair were only proficient with one foot, they often struggled when they couldn't use their other foot effectively.

Thắng ngoạn mục Myanmar, đội tuyển teqball Việt Nam lần đầu có huy chương SEA Games- Ảnh 3. — The joy of the coaching staff and the two athletes, Ba Truong Giang and Le Anh Khoa.

Recognizing this, the Vietnamese teqball coaching staff instructed Ba Truong Giang and Le Anh Khoa, who are equally adept at attacking with both their right and left feet, to proactively defend to gain an advantage and attack the opponent's weaker foot. Thanks to this, despite a dramatic chase in the first set, the Vietnamese men's doubles team staged a spectacular comeback to win narrowly 12/11. Boosted by this, they capitalized on their strengths in the second set, further neutralizing their opponents to win 12/8. With a 2-0 victory, Vietnam advanced to the semi-finals as the second-placed team in Group A, where they will face Indonesia.

Thắng ngoạn mục Myanmar, đội tuyển teqball Việt Nam lần đầu có huy chương SEA Games- Ảnh 4. — Two Vietnamese athletes were overjoyed after their victory.

Coach Vo Minh Hieu Thuan and two athletes, Ba Truong Giang and Le Anh Khoa, said: "We are very happy with this victory. Although it was only one win, it helped Vietnamese teqball win its first medal. Importantly, it has shown that Vietnam's skill level is now at an early stage of being able to compete on equal footing with opponents. We believe that with further training through more competition and a positive mindset, Vietnamese teqball will certainly continue to improve."

Thắng ngoạn mục Myanmar, đội tuyển teqball Việt Nam lần đầu có huy chương SEA Games- Ảnh 5. — Two athletes answer questions after winning the first medal for teqball.

Thắng ngoạn mục Myanmar, đội tuyển teqball Việt Nam lần đầu có huy chương SEA Games- Ảnh 6. — Coach Vo Minh Hieu Thuan is instructing the female athletes.

Regardless of the semi-final results this afternoon, it's certain that in their first appearance, Vietnam has won their first medal in teqball, at least a bronze. If they were lucky enough to beat Indonesia, they would have secured a higher position. This is an unexpected result, showcasing the efforts of the Vietnamese teqball team and their coaches. Accurately assessing their opponents, reading the game quickly, identifying their own advantages, and maintaining excellent focus during the match brought about a glorious opening victory for Vietnamese teqball in the international arena.