Historic Teqball bronze for Vietnam at Asiad 20: New sport, new milestone

On the morning of September 20, at the Asiad 20 arena, I stood near the technical zone watching Nguyen Hoang Minh Tan and Trinh Gia Nghi celebrate after the decisive shot. They had just defeated India's Dsouza Quimcy Joaquim and Beg Mohamed Anas Imran 2-0 to claim the bronze medal in the mixed doubles Teqball event. This was Vietnam's first medal at Asiad 20. But I wasn't recording goals or points. People remember the goal. I remember what led to the goal. Teqball is a sport combining football and table tennis, played on a curved table. Athletes cannot use their hands, only their head, chest, and legs to control the ball. It demands exceptional ball control, reflexes, and teamwork. For a country just getting familiar with this sport like Vietnam, winning a medal in the first Asiad where Teqball appears is a positive shock for insiders and experts alike. Before the bronze medal match, Minh Tan and Gia Nghi were not highly rated. They come from a footballing nation, but Teqball is a different story. Thailand, South Korea, and host Japan all have systematic Teqball programs established for years. Vietnam only had a few months of practice. But on the table, I saw coordination down to the centimeter. Minh Tan received the ball with his knee, Gia Nghi cushioned it with her instep to spin it into a difficult angle. They weren't playing with technique; they played with understanding. The match is over, but the data is not. The medal tally after nearly half a day of competition reminded me of a line I write every season: Before asking who wins, ask who keeps discipline. China led with 2 golds, 4 silvers, and 1 bronze. Japan was second with 2 golds and 3 bronzes. Macau, South Korea, and Kazakhstan each had 1 gold. Vietnam ranked 9th with 2 bronzes. The numbers sound modest, but looking at when those two bronzes came, the story changes. First, Teqball. In mixed doubles, Vietnam won not only the medal match but also games from the group stage onward. The young pair played like a complete system. They rotated positions, covered for each other, and rarely left space for opponents. In the context of a newly recognized sport, the thorough preparation of the coaching staff was crucial. Compared to the Iraqi pair in the men's doubles bronze match, where Ba Truong Giang and Le Anh Khoa lost, I noticed a difference: how they handled being behind. Minh Tan and Gia Nghi always maintained a stable rhythm, never panicked when opponents accelerated. In the men's match, psychological pressure caused more passing errors from the Vietnamese athletes. I recorded everything in my notebook. That morning brought another bronze. In Karate, Bui Ngoc Nhi won the bronze medal in the women's individual Kata. Nhi was not highly rated after losing to host judoka Ono Maho 0-5 in the opening match. But she then defeated Choi Haeun (South Korea) 5-0 and Leong Wai Yee Shannon (Singapore) 4-1. This was a remarkable comeback. The initial defeat did not shake her focus. Nhi proved that tactical discipline and composure under pressure are what determine results. Numbers don’t lie; we just haven’t asked the right questions. Kata has no direct score, but a 5-0 scoreline reflects total dominance. Looking closer, Vietnam’s first two medals at Asiad 20 both came from sports demanding technical skill and tactics, not raw physical strength. Teqball and Karate are both popular in Thailand, Japan, and South Korea. This is no coincidence. The Vietnamese delegation has prepared carefully in the context of rapidly developing sports. Thailand once dominated Southeast Asian Teqball, but at this Asiad, Vietnam stepped onto the podium before Thailand got a chance to adapt to the curved table. I wondered: Why did a country that only approached Teqball a few months ago win a medal in its first Asiad? Meanwhile, at SEA Games 33, many traditional Vietnamese teams often returned empty-handed against Thai rivals. That is the irony. National teams in new sports usually receive less investment, but thanks to flexibility in personnel selection, they optimized athletes with strong individual technique. Minh Tan and Gia Nghi are both young footballers who couldn’t find spots at professional academies. But they, in an environment without goals or grass pitches, found value in knee touches. The contrarian view I want to present: The Teqball bronze is not a lucky medal from an obscure sport. It is a signal that Vietnam can compete by choosing the right sports instead of pouring resources into traditional events where breakthroughs are difficult. Some will say Teqball is new and strong nations don’t invest in it. But Karate, newly introduced at Asiad, also features Japan, China, and South Korea. Bui Ngoc Nhi won a bronze a day after Ba Truong Giang and Le Anh Khoa lost to Iraq. The price of perseverance in sport never changes. The disciplined will win. Vietnam still has many competition days ahead. Bui Ngoc Nhi and her teammates will enter the women's team Kata quarterfinal against Nepal on September 22. More medal opportunities remain. But whatever the final medal count, I think Asiad 20 will be remembered as the Games where Vietnam began its story with a curved table and precise kicks. Twelve rounds once disappeared in the shadow of a pandemic, but in my notebook, every step on the court is recorded. I’m not sure if these two bronzes will lift Vietnam higher in the final medal standings. But I know one thing: every season is a chapter, and I am just the bookmark keeper. And these bookmarks, like Teqball’s debut, will leave a deep imprint in the minds of those who truly love Vietnamese sports.