Vietnamese badminton player reflects on Olympics journey

By Hoang Nguyen   July 29, 2021 | 03:31 am PT
Vietnamese badminton player reflects on Olympics journey
Nguyen Thuy Linh plays Tai Tzu Ying in an Olympic badminton match on July 26, 2021. Photo by Reuters.
Vietnam's number one female badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh said the challenge at Tokyo Olympics was hard but believed she's done her part.

"The path to Tokyo for me wasn’t easy at all. But now I’m here, wearing the national flag knowing I have given my best for my country. That’s my only answer to the challenges I have faced as well as to the people who have been supporting me. And I believe I have left a good impression on the fans," she wrote on her Facebook page.

At the Olympics, Linh competed in group P with French player Qi Xuefei, Swiss player Sabrina Jaquet and world number one Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan. They all placed above Linh in world rankings, but Linh surprised everyone with victories over Qi and Jaquet. In the game with Tai, Linh took the lead many times but eventually lost and got eliminated.

As her first journey at the Olympics has concluded, Linh said: "I still have many weaknesses that I will have to improve on in the coming time. It feels amazing to compete in an international event. On the field, all I thought about was giving my best because people at home are watching. I’m not satisfied with the result of this or the previous match. For me, these are all lessons. If I played better, I could have brought joy to the fans."

Linh became Vietnam’s number one female badminton player in 2018. The 42nd position on world ranking in 2020 helped her claim a ticket to Tokyo.

After the Olympics, Linh is scheduled to go back to Japan for training to prepare for SEA Games next year.

 
 
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