The journey to win the championship at the International Challenge 2025 badminton tournament held at the end of March in Hanoi by the pair Tran Dinh Manh and Nguyen Dinh Hoang was considered "beyond imagination" by the coaching staff of the Vietnamese badminton team as well as fans.
It is said to be beyond imagination because Dinh Manh and Dinh Hoang are a couple that are not highly rated in this tournament, having to compete from the qualifying round to gain the right to enter the final round.
However, from a couple that was only considered a "stepping stone", these two players continuously caused shock when they defeated many strong opponents to win the right to play in the final match with the 4th seeded couple of Japan, Kazuki Shibata - Naoki Yamada (ranked 80th in the world, while Dinh Manh - Dinh Hoang are ranked 139th in the world).
Dinh Hoang - Dinh Manh (right) excellently won the championship of Vietnam International Challenge 2025 (Photo: NVCC).
In the final match, the two Vietnamese players went through 3 thrilling sets, fighting for every point before winning the final with a score of 2-1. The championship of the Vietnam International Challenge 2025 of this pair is not only a personal achievement for Hoang - Manh, but also a milestone for Vietnamese badminton when they won the championship in the men's doubles for the first time.
Previously, Vietnamese badminton only won the doubles event once, but in the mixed event by the pair Do Tuan Duc and Pham Nhu Thao at the Vietnam International Challenge 2018. Sharing with Dan Tri reporter after the tournament, tennis player Tran Dinh Manh said that for him at this time, everything "feels like a dream".
"After winning the final match, Dinh Hoang and I just hugged each other in joy. We felt so happy because we couldn't believe that we could win a big international tournament with so many excellent players from around the world participating like the last tournament.
"At first, we had to play in the qualifying round to qualify for the final round. The opponents we faced were all very strong, but the victories made us confident and we tried our best to win the championship," Tran Dinh Manh began his conversation with Dan Tri reporter.
Success is due to effort, not luck.
Did you and Dinh Hoang initially set a goal of standing on the highest podium in this tournament? Was this success mainly due to ability or was there also luck?
- Dinh Hoang and I set a goal from the beginning of the tournament to fight our best to stand on the highest podium, holding the Gold Medal in our hands. To say whether victory is due to this or that, I think that success does not come from luck, but is the result of effort and perseverance.
My relentless efforts with Hoang helped us both overcome challenges and achieve our goals. We went through many matches, from the qualifying round to the final round and all the opponents were strong, so if we just depended on luck, we could not succeed. I always believe that we should believe in our own abilities, because every step leads to great success.
How difficult do you think the last tournament was, because in history, Vietnamese badminton has never won the men's doubles championship?
- The fact that Vietnamese badminton has never won the men's doubles event at the International Challenge says it all. It is truly a very tough tournament, gathering many of the world's top players to participate.
There are some pairs in the top 60 and 70 in the world, which is very impressive. Notably, the tournament also has a Taiwanese player, Lu Ching Yao, who was once in the top 10 in the world. The good news is that the victory in the last tournament helped our pair move up 22 places in the world badminton rankings, from 139 to 117.
Which match did you find most difficult in your journey to winning the championship?
- Every match is difficult for us, even in the qualifying round. But the most dramatic is still the final match. We have overcome many difficulties to be in the final match, the championship is very close so we must be more determined to bring glory to Vietnamese badminton.
We won the first set but then let our opponents tie the second set. In the deciding set, we told each other not to lose focus, to calmly handle each shot to carefully win each point.
Our determination helped us to lead our opponents quite far, at times up to 9 points, and finally we won as expected. The feeling after the victory was hard to describe.
Dream of affirming the position of Vietnamese badminton on the world map
Have you and your teammate Dinh Hoang played doubles together many times? Have you won any memorable championships together?
- Hoang and I have been playing doubles together for 12 years now, since we were 10 years old. We have been through many tournaments together so we understand each other very well and can coordinate well.
In 2022, we won the national championship for the best racket together. However, our achievements in the national tournament are still modest and we know we have to work harder.
Talking about Dinh Hoang, I really like and appreciate his efforts. He is a tennis player with good attacking ability, with very sharp and powerful smashes that make all opponents afraid.
As for myself, I think my strengths are catching the net and moving flexibly. Good coordination is the key to helping us win.
The moment Dinh Manh (right) and Dinh Hoang (left) celebrated winning the Vietnam International Challenge 2025 badminton championship (Photo: NVCC).
What are some memorable medals you have won in your career?
- My medal collection is quite a lot, but the special mark is the mixed doubles gold medal and the men's doubles silver medal at the International Series in Bac Giang in 2024. Reaching two finals at the same time is a great achievement for me, the result of my tireless training efforts.
Who is your badminton idol?
- In the badminton world, the couple Hong Nam - Tuan Minh I admire the most. And speaking of individuals, we cannot help but mention tennis player Tien Minh - the current icon of Vietnamese badminton.
A female tennis player I also admire is Thuy Linh. They are all excellent and are role models for us to learn from.
Have you ever competed with Thuy Linh? Is it easy to win even though your opponent is a woman?
- Thuy Linh and I are both training in the national team. Luckily, I beat her. She is really good, worthy of being the number one female tennis player in Vietnam.
- Many people think that Vietnamese badminton is still only playing domestically and is not capable of reaching international level. What do you think about this point of view?
- Ms. Nguyen Thuy Linh is the one who is affirming the position of Vietnamese badminton in the international arena. I think if well invested, Vietnamese badminton will continue to develop.
The good news is that Dinh Hoang, Thuy Linh, and many other national team players are preparing to compete in the 2025 Asian Badminton Championships starting on April 8. These will continue to be difficult but exciting challenges. We hope to achieve more achievements to affirm the position of Vietnamese badminton on the world map.
Although there are still many challenges, with the potential for development and continuous efforts, I believe that Vietnamese badminton can achieve greater success in the future. Investing in the right direction, developing young talent and building a professional system are key factors for Vietnamese badminton to reach international level.
Thanks for the conversation!
The Vietnamese badminton team is ready for the Asian Badminton Championship taking place from April 8 to April 13 in Ningbo (China).
- Nguyen Thuy Linh will face former world number one - Akane Yamaguchi (world number 3)
- Le Duc Phat, Pham Van Hai/Than Van Anh have a good chance of entering the main round when they are in the same group with 2 players who are rated much lower.
- Vietnam International Challenge 2025 champion - Nguyen Dinh Hoang/Tran Dinh Manh (ranked 117) had difficulty competing in the preliminary round with an opponent who was considered equally strong from Hong Kong (China, ranked 115).
- Tran Dinh Manh/Pham Thi Khanh and Pham Thi Dieu Ly/Pham Thi Khanh are in a difficult group with highly rated pairs of athletes from Hong Kong (China), Japan, and Malaysia.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/tran-dinh-manh-chia-se-ve-khoanh-khac-lam-nen-lich-su-cho-cau-long-viet-nam-20250403152340755.htm
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