The Road to the Summit of Vietnamese Badminton: When Children Learn to Win in Their Minds

At an international tournament in Bangkok last November, a young Vietnamese badminton player stood before an opponent ranked 15th in the world. The arena was filled with Thai spectators, applause crashing against the 19-year-old's ears from both sides. In that moment, I remembered the image of a small team in Moscow in 2026 that taught me a lesson 35 years of following sports could never forget: the real match takes place in the mind, not on the court. Vietnamese badminton is entering a new chapter. It's not a story of spectacular victories, but a story of changing how one nation thinks about sport as it seeks its own position on the world map. From small training courts in Hanoi to major international tournaments, from humble dreams to ambitions of competing at the highest level, this journey is being written in sweat, tears, and tactical decisions that not everyone can see. Nguyen Tien Minh, a name that professionals mention as a phenomenon, not because he has won a major tournament, but because of how he breaks the patterns that people believed suited Vietnamese players. In his match against an Indonesian representative at the 2026 Asia Championships, Minh showed a style I had never seen in any previous Vietnamese player: the ability to control match pace through deliberate speed changes in smashes. That wasn't instinct, but the result of systematic training under coaches who understood that to compete at the highest level, one cannot rely purely on fitness and technique. I have followed many matches of Vietnamese badminton players over the years, and what impressed me wasn't the powerful smashes or excellent saves. What caught my attention was the change in how they move on court, how they read opponents, and more importantly, how they react when the game doesn't go as expected. Football taught me that a player can run 12% more than usual data when driven by will, and the same is happening in Vietnamese badminton. Vu Thi Trang, once Vietnam's number one female player, went through what I call the "Croatia moment" in her career. That was the time she faced consecutive defeats against opponents she could previously compete with. Many doubted her future, doubted the path ahead for Vietnamese badminton. But I saw in her eyes something I had seen in Luka Modric in the 2026 World Cup semi-final: unwavering determination that couldn't be shaken by failures. Trang didn't collapse; she learned to get up and adjust her tactics to suit the new demands of elite sport. Now, let's talk about what I believe is the biggest tactical blind spot in how Vietnamese people view their own badminton. We often speak about needing more domestic tournaments, better facilities, larger investment budgets. These aren't wrong, but they're not the whole story. What I realized after years of observation is: real change starts from within, from how each young player is taught to think about themselves on the court. At a youth tournament in Hanoi two years ago, I witnessed a scene that I believe completely reshaped how I view the future of Vietnamese badminton. A 14-year-old girl was playing the final match, her team trailing 0-2 in the team competition series. The girl stepped onto the court with a face that showed no trembling. In that moment, I understood this wasn't just a badminton match; this was proof that a new generation was being nurtured with a completely different mentality. They weren't afraid of failure, weren't afraid of being mocked for unconventional ideas. They played as if 80,000 people were cheering but there were actually only 200 in the arena. Modern badminton tactics have changed greatly compared to 20 years ago. The BWF ranking system is increasingly complex; Super 1000 and Super 750 tournaments demand higher levels of expertise than ever. But what I realized is: technology and technique can be copied, but mindset cannot. And this is Vietnam's potential advantage. When a country isn't burdened by overly large historical expectations, young players can approach sport with more freedom, with the ability to experiment with ideas that traditional badminton powerhouses might not dare try. Vietnam's youth training system is gradually transforming. I have seen young coaches, those who competed at high levels or were trained at training centers abroad, beginning to apply new methods. They don't just teach technique; they teach how to read matches, how to analyze opponents, and more importantly, how to build a strategy based on one's own strengths rather than copying the styles of the world's top players. However, I must also acknowledge one thing: the road ahead is still very long and full of challenges. Gaps in fitness, international competition experience, and support systems remain real barriers. But I learned from Croatia that: gaps in potential are not a death sentence for a team or an individual. What matters is how they utilize what they have, how they turn limitations into advantages, and how they believe in the path they have chosen. Returning to the young player in Bangkok I mentioned at the beginning. The match ended with a 0-2 defeat, but in the moment he shook hands with his opponent, I saw no collapse in his eyes. There was acceptance, analysis, and a plan for the future. That is a sign of a sports culture gradually maturing. A culture where failure is no longer something to be ashamed of, but part of the learning process. I believe that in the next five to ten years, we will witness significant advances for Vietnamese badminton internationally. Not sudden victories, not major upsets, but steady improvement in rankings, in competitiveness at major tournaments, and in the confidence of young players stepping onto international courts. That is a journey, not a destination. And I, as someone who has spent a lifetime following sports, very much look forward to continuing to witness each small but important step of that journey. The first time I was mocked on live television, I thought I was wrong. It turned out people were just afraid of unconventional views. And perhaps, this is what is happening with Vietnamese badminton: when people say Vietnam cannot compete at the highest level, that may be a signal that the impossible is about to become reality. 80,000 people can make a boy tremble, but only a child who learns to play in their mind truly wins. And I am beginning to see such children in Vietnam.