Nguyen Thuy Linh: 'The Asian Games Arena Is Very Harsh, It Is Not Easy to Win a Medal'

At 27 years old, Nguyen Thuy Linh already has two Olympic appearances and three consecutive Asian Games appearances in her career. However, Vietnam's top badminton player herself acknowledges that the Asian Games remain the biggest challenge she has ever faced. 'The Asian Games arena is very harsh, it is not easy to win a medal,' Linh shared in an interview with Dan Tri newspaper. The broader context raises questions about the competitiveness of Vietnamese sport in general and badminton in particular on the continental stage. While countries like China, Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, and Indonesia invest heavily in professional coaching systems, Vietnamese badminton is still finding ways to build a more solid foundation for its national athletes. According to Dan Tri reporters, financial resources allocated to badminton in Vietnam remain limited compared to the regional average. The system of foreign coaches — a key factor helping many Asian national teams elevate their standards — has not been aggressively deployed in the national team. Linh is one of the rare Vietnamese players with high-level competitive experience, yet she admits that she has had to adapt far more independently compared to colleagues from more developed badminton nations. Nguyen Thuy Linh's journey began in domestic tournaments before she gradually established her name on the international stage. Two Olympic appearances demonstrate she has overcome numerous barriers to enter the top 20 Asian players in women's singles. However, the gap from the top 20 in Asia to medal-contending positions at the Asian Games remains a significant step. The 20th Asian Games in Japan (Aichi–Nagoya) presents both expectations and challenges for the Vietnamese sports delegation. For Nguyen Thuy Linh, this marks not only her third consecutive representation of Vietnam at the continental arena but also an opportunity to test her true caliber against the world's top competitors. Despite limited resources compared to her rivals, Linh has maintained consistent performance at the continental level for years, demonstrating that willpower and personal discipline remain crucial in elite sport. Her story reflects the broader reality of Vietnamese sport: outstanding individual efforts that still require more systematic institutional investment. Nguyen Thuy Linh stated she will focus on her preparation process without placing excessive pressure on the final outcome. 'I know the Asian Games are very harsh, but I will give my all,' she added.