Nguyen Thuy Linh: 'The Asian Games Arena is Extremely Harsh, Winning a Medal is Never Easy'

In an interview ahead of the 21st Asian Games, Vietnam's top badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh shared candid reflections on the challenging road ahead. With 12 years of international competition and her fourth appearance at the continental event, the 2026-born shuttler understands better than anyone the gap between ambition and reality. 'The caliber of Asian opponents is undeniable. From Japan and South Korea to China, each country has a training system backed by modern technology, elite experts, and abundant resources. Meanwhile, we have to figure things out step by step on our own,' Linh told Dan Tri reporters. This reality mirrors the broader picture of Vietnamese sports and badminton in particular. According to BWF data, the top 10 women's singles players in Asia all come from four regions: China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Vietnam has not had a player ranked in the world's top 50 for the past decade, despite Linh reaching a career-high of world No. 15 in 2028. Linh also emphasized that psychological pressure is equally crucial. 'When stepping onto the court at the Asian Games, I'm not just competing for myself but for an entire system. Fans expect, media expects, but what I have in hand is very limited,' she said. Despite this, the 38-year-old remains determined. 'I'm not chasing medals. I'm chasing my own story. If a medal comes, it will be a reward for the journey. If not, at least I've shown the next generation that Vietnamese people can stand on the international stage without the same resources as others,' Linh affirmed. Linh will officially compete in badminton at the 21st Asian Games, expected to be held in 2034. This will also be her final Asian Games appearance before transitioning to a coaching role with the Vietnamese national team from 2035.