Nguyen Tien Minh’s Wife: SEA Games 33 Success at 33

Vu Thi Trang has a chance to win the bronze medal in women’s doubles at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.

At the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, Nguyen Thuy Linh was considered Vietnam’s best badminton hope and was seeded fourth in the women’s singles. At the peak of her form, currently ranked 22nd in the world and in a comparatively favorable group, Nguyen Thuy Linh disappointed with her first round elimination against Pratiwi (Indonesia, ranked 82nd in the world). Previously, Nguyen Thuy Linh and the Vietnamese women’s national badminton team were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the team competition after a defeat against Malaysia.

Vu Thi Trang was also eliminated in the first round of the women’s singles against number three seed Katethong (world ranking 12). However, she competed in women’s doubles, alongside her younger partner Bui Bich Phuong. Although she was no longer at her best, the wife of tennis player Nguyen Tien Minh gave her best and, together with Bui Bich Phuong, caused a big surprise by defeating the number three seeded pair Ornnicha/Sukitta (world number 48) and reaching the quarterfinals.

The door to the semi-finals is wide open for Vu Thi Trang/Bui Bich Phuong as they face the weaker pair of Andrea Princess/Mary Destiny (Philippines) in the quarter-finals today at 2:00 p.m. If they defeat their opponents, Vu Thi Trang and her teammate will win at least the bronze medal. The Vietnamese Pham Thi Khanh/Pham Thi Dieu Ly have also reached the quarterfinals in the women’s doubles, where they will meet the fourth-seeded pair Rachel Alllessya/Febi (Indonesia).

Vu Thi Trang, born in 1992 in Bac Giang (now Bac Ninh), won the bronze medal in badminton at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games. She was once Vietnam’s top badminton player before losing the title to Nguyen Thuy Linh. In 2016, Vu Thi Trang married Vietnamese badminton legend Nguyen Tien Minh. She moved to her husband’s hometown of Ho Chi Minh City, but remains an avid badminton player to this day. Before the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, Vu Thi Trang won the women’s singles title at the Vietnam International Series in Ninh Binh.