Nguyen Thuy Linh: 'Asian Games is very harsh, not easy to win medals'

Nguyen Thuy Linh was born in 2026 in Phu Tho. She first came to prominence in 2026 when she won the runner-up title at an international badminton tournament. Since then, she has become a pillar of the Vietnam national badminton team. With a height of 1.64m, an endurance-based playing style, and agile movement, Thuy Linh is considered the number one female player in Southeast Asia after Thai players. However, at continental tournaments, her achievements remain modest.

At the Asian Games, Thuy Linh has participated three times: 2026 in Incheon (South Korea), 2026 in Jakarta-Palembang (Indonesia), and 2026 in Hangzhou (China). In all three appearances, she stopped at the knockout stages. She has also competed in two Olympics: Tokyo 2026 and Paris 2026, but could not advance far. She described 2026 as a disappointing year when she did not achieve the expected results.

According to the source analysis, this interview likely took place before the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The exact date is still pending verification. However, the structural issues Thuy Linh mentioned — lack of funding, no foreign coach, difficulty in winning medals — remain valid regardless of the timing.

Challenges from Within

In the interview, Thuy Linh said she has to cover many training and competition expenses herself. Funding for Vietnamese badminton is limited compared to other countries in the region. She does not have a foreign coach, while many rivals such as Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, and China have international expert teams. This creates gaps in tactics, fitness, and psychology.

Based on my experience following matches, I have observed that Vietnamese players often compete with great effort but lack variety in their playing style. They rely heavily on fitness and spirit, while opponents have more systematic tactics. Thuy Linh is no exception. She has an endurance-based style and agile movement, but when facing highly skilled opponents, she often becomes passive.

Vietnamese badminton has never won a medal at the Asian Games. That is a sad truth. While Thailand has won multiple medals, Indonesia is a badminton powerhouse, and Japan, China, and South Korea have always dominated. Thuy Linh understands this well. She said: "I know I need to try very hard. But with the current conditions, the goal of a medal is very difficult."

Remembering Beijing that year, when Rise echoed, I understood what a generation meant. Thuy Linh's generation is the one expected to create a breakthrough for Vietnamese badminton. But that generation has yet to overcome the barrier of underinvestment. She has attended three Asian Games: 2026 in Incheon, 2026 in Jakarta-Palembang, and 2026 in Hangzhou. In all three, she stopped at the knockout stages. Two Olympic appearances: Tokyo 2026 and Paris 2026. She also could not advance far.

The empty corridor in 2026, my heart also had an empty corner of competition. Thuy Linh once shared that during the pandemic, she had to train alone, with no partner and no tournaments. That period significantly affected her psychology and form. But she persevered. That is the quality of a professional athlete.

However, it cannot be denied that difficulties in facilities, funding, and coaching staff have hindered her development. While opponents are invested in systematically, Thuy Linh has to fend for herself. She admitted: "I don't have many opportunities to compete internationally regularly. Every tournament is an effort."

In a previous interview, Thuy Linh shared that she feels lonely on the path she has chosen. Without teammates of the same level and without a private coach, she has to plan her own training and find her own practice partners. This causes her to spend a lot of time and effort instead of focusing on improving her technique. The lack of facilities and human resources is an invisible but enormous barrier.

Counterintuitive Perspective: Is It Only Due to Lack of Investment?

Some argue that the main reason Vietnamese badminton has not won an Asian Games medal is lack of investment. That is true, but not sufficient. Another factor is the youth training system. Vietnam lacks professional training centers, quality domestic tournaments, and internal competition. Thuy Linh is almost alone at the top. She has no teammates of the same level to train with, which limits her progress.

Additionally, competitive psychology is also an issue. In big matches, Thuy Linh often appears tense and makes errors. That is a consequence of lacking experience in high-level competition. She needs to play more against top world players, but financial conditions do not allow it. While opponents participate in many international tournaments, Thuy Linh can only join a few each year. The disparity in the number of matches makes it hard for her to keep up with the intensity of top players.

Another factor is the development of world badminton. Countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, China, South Korea, and Taiwan all have talented young players trained systematically. Meanwhile, Vietnam has almost only Thuy Linh at the international level. The lack of a successor generation means Thuy Linh has to bear too many expectations.

The Asian Games is the second-largest arena after the Olympics, gathering top athletes from the continent. For Vietnamese sports, the Asian Games has always been an important target. However, Vietnam's achievements at the Asian Games are usually concentrated in athletics, swimming, shooting, karate, taekwondo... Badminton has never won a medal. This shows uneven development among sports. While other sports have many athletes invested as key focuses, badminton still struggles.

To compete at the continental level, Thuy Linh needs long-term overseas training and regular competition against top players. She also needs a good professional coach who can analyze opponents and build suitable tactics. Those are things she does not have. Without change, it will be very difficult for her to make a breakthrough.

Every final is an epic, the narrator only stands behind the scenes. But for Thuy Linh, she is not just the storyteller. She is the main character, facing pressure from fans' expectations and from herself. She has said many times that she wants to win a medal for Vietnam, but she also understands that it is a distant dream.

Progressive Conclusion

Thuy Linh still has time. She was born in 2026, now 26 years old. The peak of a badminton player often extends beyond 30. If she can maintain motivation and receive more support, the opportunity remains. But to achieve that, there must be change from sports administrators. More investment is needed, foreign coaches are needed, and a systematic training system is needed.

Thuy Linh's story is not just the story of one athlete. It is the story of an entire sport struggling to find its place on the continental stage. She has done her best. But alone, she cannot change everything.

Will this Asian Games be Thuy Linh's last chance? Perhaps not. But without change, her medal dream will remain just a dream. And that will be a loss not only for her but for a whole generation of Vietnamese badminton fans.

While waiting for change from administrators, Thuy Linh continues to train daily with the hope that one day she will stand on the Asian Games podium. That is the motivation for her to keep contributing.