Tien Minh won the national championship for the 15th time

Bac Giang - 40-year-old badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh defeated Nguyen Tien Tuan 21-18, 21-12 in the 2023 National Individual Badminton Championship final.

Tien Minh maintained the agility of a former world number 4, defeating Tien Tuan in just about 40 minutes in the final on the afternoon of September 2nd. The 22-year-old was slightly better in smashes and clears, while his senior opponent excelled in drop shots and situational awareness. Tien Minh knew how to drop shots when he felt Tien Tuan's clears were too powerful and going out of bounds. The match ended with the young player's smash going out of bounds.

Nguyen Tien Minh at the Vietnam International Challenger tournament at Tay Ho Gymnasium, Hanoi, on March 21, 2023. Photo: Lam Thoa — Nguyen Tien Minh at the Vietnam International Challenger tournament at Tay Ho Gymnasium, Hanoi, on March 21, 2023. Photo: *Lam Thoa*

Tien Minh won the national individual badminton championship for the 15th time , including a record 11 consecutive wins between 2002 and 2013. This streak ended in 2014 because he did not participate. After that, he won the national championship four more times in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2013. Remarkably, in the past 20 years, Tien Minh has reached the final every time he has participated in the tournament.

The 40-year-old's path to the final this year was more difficult, including a defeat against Tien Tuan in the group stage. Previously, Tien Minh successively overcame Dong Quang Huy and Vu Hai Dang in the qualifying rounds to enter Group B alongside Tien Tuan, Le Minh Son, and Phan Phuc Thinh. The former world bronze medalist defeated two weaker opponents, then lost to Tien Tuan, but still advanced to the semi-finals as the second-placed player in the group.

In the semi-finals on the evening of September 1st, Tien Minh faced Vietnam's number one player, Nguyen Hai Dang, but he won in just two sets with a score of 21-18, 21-18. In the other semi-final, Tien Tuan defeated the home player Tran Quoc Khanh 22-20, 21-15. Meeting again in the final, Tien Minh successfully avenged his defeat against Tien Tuan to claim the title at the age of 40.

Tien Minh at the National Individual Badminton Championships in Bac Giang on the afternoon of September 2, 2023. Photo: Screenshot — Tien Minh at the National Individual Badminton Championships in Bac Giang on the afternoon of September 2, 2023. Photo: *Screenshot*

According to the BWF world badminton rankings, Tien Minh is currently the third-ranked Vietnamese player after Nguyen Hai Dang and Le Duc Phat. However, Duc Phat had to face Hai Dang in the qualifying round and was eliminated before reaching the group stage. Duc Phat was not seeded in the tournament, so he was unlucky to be drawn against Hai Dang so early.

The 2023 National Individual Badminton Championship will take place at the Bac Giang Gymnasium from August 29th to September 2nd. Players will compete in a knockout format to select eight players for the group stage, divided into two groups of four. From there, they will play a round-robin tournament to select four players for the semi-finals.

In the women's singles, Nguyen Thuy Linh easily defeated Tran Thi Phuong Thuy 21-12, 21-13 to continue her dominance in this event. In the semi-finals, Thuy Linh beat Vu Thi Trang - former number one in Vietnam and also the wife of Nguyen Tien Minh.

Vietnam's top tennis players will rest before participating in the Vietnam Open from September 12th to 17th in Ho Chi Minh City. This is the only tournament in Vietnam that is part of the BWF World Tour, a Super 100 level tournament.

Xuan Binh

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