Thuy Linh: The Asian Games arena is very harsh, winning a medal is not easy

Nguyen Thuy Linh, Vietnam’s top women’s singles badminton player, has shared notable comments with Dan Tri newspaper ahead of the 20th Asian Games, to be held in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan. According to the interview, Thuy Linh frankly acknowledged: “The Asian Games arena is very harsh, and winning a medal is not easy.” This is not a complaint but the assessment of an athlete who has competed at three consecutive Asian Games and two Olympics. That experience has shown her the gap between Vietnamese badminton and the continent’s leading group. Asian Games 20 will take place in Japan, where Asian badminton brings together powerhouses such as China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, India, and Malaysia. In women’s singles, the world’s top players regularly appear. Therefore, advancing deep into the Asian Games is already a challenge, let alone winning a medal. Thuy Linh understands this better than anyone. She has gone through long matches, tense encounters, and narrow defeats. Each time, she sees more clearly her own limits and those of Vietnam’s badminton training system. Notably, the Dan Tri interview does not provide detailed technical data. There are no rankings, no head-to-head records, and no specific scores. Her statements about funding, foreign coaches, and training conditions are mainly her own perceptions. When analyzing, these comments should be placed in the context of a personal interview rather than treated as independently verified data. Still, the issues she raises reflect a reality worth considering: Vietnamese badminton lacks deep investment, foreign experts, and a sufficiently strong long-term roadmap. Regarding the timeline, the interview is believed to have been conducted before Asian Games 20 in Japan. At that time, Thuy Linh had already competed at three consecutive Asian Games and two Olympics. Her second Olympic appearance could only be Paris 2026. This reinforces the likelihood that the upcoming Asian Games is the 20th edition, held in Aichi–Nagoya. However, the source has not confirmed a specific publication date. If the timeline is inaccurate, the conclusion about Thuy Linh’s career phase could shift by one bracket. But the structural conclusions about the investment gap, the absence of foreign coaches, and the difficulty of the medal target remain valid. In that context, Thuy Linh’s emphasis that the Asian Games are very harsh is a necessary warning. Vietnamese fans always hope for medals, but badminton is a sport that demands comprehensive preparation. Physical strength, speed, endurance, tactics, psychology, and the ability to analyze opponents must all be at a high level. In Asia, strong teams have complete sports science systems. They have dedicated coaches, nutritionists, doctors, psychologists, and video analysis teams. Vietnam does not yet have all these elements. Therefore, every Vietnamese player who steps onto the continental stage often has to compensate for many shortcomings. Comparison with Thailand and Indonesia makes the gap even clearer. Thailand has long built depth in women’s singles and women’s doubles, with many players in the world’s top 50. Indonesia is strong in men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and has a long badminton tradition. Malaysia has world-class players. Japan, South Korea, China, and India continuously produce high-quality athletes. Meanwhile, Vietnam mainly relies on a few outstanding figures, among whom Thuy Linh is the pillar of women’s singles. Dependence on one individual creates enormous pressure and shows a lack of squad depth. Thuy Linh is not without opportunity. She possesses match experience, fighting spirit, and dedication. Three Asian Games and two Olympics are assets that few Vietnamese players have. But experience cannot fully replace physical strength and scientific support. At her age, she needs a reasonable competition plan to avoid long matches that drain her. She also needs flexible tactics, knowing when to accelerate, limiting errors, and seizing opportunities. Against strong opponents, a few points can decide the outcome. As for goals, Thuy Linh likely does not focus heavily on medals as much as on trying in every match. That is a realistic approach. At the Asian Games, getting through the group stage is not easy, and reaching the quarterfinals is an achievement worth recognizing. If she can go further, it would be a major surprise. But surprises only come when many factors align: form, fitness, luck, and opponents not at their peak. Asian badminton leaves no room for complacency. Every match is a separate challenge. Thuy Linh’s story also raises a larger issue for Vietnamese sport. To win Asian Games medals in highly competitive sports such as badminton, it is impossible to rely only on individual effort. There must be proper investment from the ground up: talent identification, youth training, hiring foreign experts, regularly organizing international competitions, and building a professional support team. Otherwise, comments like Thuy Linh’s will be repeated across generations. Fans have the right to expect, but expectations must come with commensurate investment. Of course, the progress of Vietnamese badminton in recent years cannot be denied. Thuy Linh has established her position in the region and achieved notable results. Younger players also have more opportunities to compete. But to compete for Asian Games medals, a bigger step forward is needed. The distance between “good results” and “a medal” is very far. Thuy Linh understands this, and she does not hesitate to say it directly. That frankness deserves respect because it comes from real experience. Ahead of Asian Games 20, the Vietnamese badminton team will enter a sprint preparation phase. Thuy Linh and her teammates need the companionship of experts, sponsors, and fans. A scientific training regime, a reasonable competition schedule, and a positive psychological environment are prerequisites. Without them, even an experienced player will struggle to reach her full potential. Conversely, with proper support, Thuy Linh can produce memorable matches. In short, Nguyen Thuy Linh’s statement is not only a personal sharing but also a voice reflecting reality. The Asian Games are very harsh. Medals are not easy to win. But it is precisely that harshness that shows the value of effort and the importance of investment. For Thuy Linh, the immediate goal is to play her best and gradually overcome limits. For Vietnamese badminton, the long-term goal is to build a strong enough foundation so that people no longer have to say “not easy” whenever Asian Games medals are mentioned.