Vietnam's First Medal at Asiad 20 Comes from Teqball: The Historic Story of Minh Tan and Gia Nghi

On the morning of September 20, 2026, at the Asiad 20 sports complex in Aichi-Nagoya, applause rose from a small corner of the stands where Vietnamese sports officials sat. Nguyen Hoang Minh Tan and Trinh Gia Nghi had just finished the Teqball mixed doubles bronze medal match with a 2-0 victory over India's Dsouza Quimcy Joaquim and Beg Mohamed Anas Imran. This bronze is the first medal for the Vietnamese sports delegation at Asiad 20. It also placed Teqball – a discipline still almost unknown to the domestic public – on the map of continental sports. Teqball combines elements of football and table tennis, played on a distinctive curved table. Athletes are not allowed to use their hands; they can only use their feet, chest, head and shoulders to control the ball. In doubles events, coordination between partners becomes decisive. One wrong movement can make the whole team lose rhythm and create space for opponents. Minh Tan and Gia Nghi arrived at the Asiad as almost unknown faces in continental tournaments. But they are leaving with a historic medal. On the curved table, the ball never follows a straight trajectory. Every touch demands near-instinctive reflexes and the ability to read the strange bounces of the surface. Based on my experience following Teqball matches since its early days in Southeast Asia, I have noticed that pairs who can read each other's intentions usually outperform teams with superior individual technique. Minh Tan and Gia Nghi proved that in the bronze match. They did not try to score with powerful swings. Instead, they chose to move constantly, return the ball softly at difficult angles and deny their opponents any attacking rhythm. The most impressive part of the match against India was not spectacular rallies. It was the patience Minh Tan and Gia Nghi showed in every situation. They deliberately slowed the pace, forcing the Indian pair to move more and gradually lose accuracy. The decisive moment came in the second set when the score was close. Gia Nghi made what looked like a harmless chest pass, and at exactly the right moment Minh Tan rushed forward to head the ball toward the edge of the table on India's side. The ball bounced back out, and none of the Indian players could react. It was a move that carried the signature of a pair who understood each other so well that they could pass with a glance. Teqball was introduced to the Asiad program for the first time at this edition. Vietnam has no professional national league, no dedicated training center and almost no sponsorship for the sport before the tournament. The athletes had to manage with limited facilities. That makes the bronze medal of Minh Tan and Gia Nghi even more valuable than what the medal table shows. It proves that a small team built on the passion of a few coaches and the persistence of the athletes themselves can still cause a surprise at the continental level. The joy of the mixed pair was not complete because Vietnam's Teqball team missed another chance in the men's doubles. Ba Truong Giang and Le Anh Khoa lost to the Iraqi pair in the bronze medal match on the same day. They had moments of superiority and created many high-quality opportunities. But in the most important situations, their focus did not last long enough. This shows that Vietnamese Teqball still faces a big gap in high-level competitive mentality and experience in handling tense moments. Meanwhile, in karate, Bui Ngoc Nhi added another bronze medal for Vietnam in the women's individual kata. She lost to Japanese home athlete Ono Maho 0-5 in the opening match of the pool. But immediately afterward, Ngoc Nhi defeated Choi Haeun of South Korea 5-0 and overcame Leong Wai Yee Shannon of Singapore 4-1 to claim the bronze. Notably, she showed no signs of panic after the loss to the Japanese fighter. On the contrary, the way she changed rhythm in the next two matches showed the composure of an athlete who has already made an impact at the 33rd SEA Games and Asian youth tournaments. This bronze was not a matter of luck. It was built on a solid technical foundation and admirable emotional control. Ngoc Nhi is not finished. She will join her teammates in the women's team kata quarterfinal against Nepal on September 22. This is a clear opportunity for Vietnamese karate to double its achievement at this Asiad. In team events, harmony between athletes often creates a greater advantage than individual performances. Given what they have shown, there is no reason to question the team's determination. As of midday on September 20, China's delegation temporarily led the overall medal table with 2 gold medals, 4 silver medals and 1 bronze. Lin Xinyu in the women's triathlon is the athlete who brought China its first gold at Asiad 20. Japan ranked second with 2 golds and 3 bronzes. Macau, South Korea and Kazakhstan all had 1 gold medal, occupying third to fifth place respectively. Vietnam's delegation was temporarily in ninth place with 2 bronze medals. This was only the first day of competition, and the standings can change quickly in the coming days. Looking back at the first half-day of competition, an honest observation is needed: Vietnam earning a medal from a novelty sport like Teqball can easily be dismissed as a lucky story on the opening day. But looking at how Minh Tan and Gia Nghi moved, how they handled difficult balls and stood firm against stronger opponents, one must admit that investing in young athletes and giving them international exposure always brings long-term value. The blind spot in the eyes of experts is that they often treat the medal table as the only measure. For a sport that has never had a voice in Asia, winning a bronze in its first Asiad appearance matters far more than the color of the medal. It reveals the inner strength of a sports culture that knows how to use dexterity, reflexes and teamwork. However, the failure of the men's Teqball pair and Bui Ngoc Nhi's loss to the Japanese fighter are also reminders that the gap between bronze and gold remains real. But that gap is narrowing after every tournament. The bronze medals of Minh Tan and Gia Nghi and Bui Ngoc Nhi have created a new breath for the Vietnamese sports delegation at Asiad 20. There are still many competition days ahead and chances to win more medals remain open. What matters is not the current ninth place, but the story of people who dared to enter a major arena with little support and a great deal of desire. Vietnamese sport needs more gold medals, but above all, it needs people willing to dedicate themselves to a sport that is still wild but full of potential, such as Teqball. Asiad 20 has just begun, and the message from both Teqball and karate is clear: Vietnamese sport is not waiting for miracles. It is creating historic moments with sweat, patience and an unshakable belief.