LookAtVietnam – Thai Nguyen-Thai Binh took first prize for the first time in the National Team Badminton Championships after defeating Army 3-2 in a thrilling final last Saturday.

National champs: The Thai Nguyen-Thai Binh team pose with their trophy and prize money after winning the National Team Badminton Championships last Saturday.

Runners-up Army received a bonus of VND40 million ($1,715).

The Army’s Nguyen Hoang Hai won the men’s singles event by default, putting the Army team in the lead 1-0, when his opponent Bui Quang Son dropped out of the competition.

Thai Nguyen-Thai Binh’s Nguyen Thi Binh Tho overcame the Army’s Nguyen Nhut Huynh 21-16, 22-20 in a competitive match to even the score.

Duo Bui Quang Son and Nguyen Huy Giang gave the 2007 runners-up Thai Nguyen-Thai Binh the lead 2-1 with a 21-17, 21-16 victory over Army’s Nguyen Thanh Luan and Tran Hong Quan.

Nguyen Thi Be Tram and Le Thi Thanh Thuy made a superb comeback from a game down to beat Nguyen Thi Binh Tho and Ngo Hai Van 14-21, 21-19, 21-11, evening out the score once again.

However, Vietnamese second-ranked Nguyen Hoang Hai could not deliver the championship to the Army team, as he and Le Thi Thu Thuy suffered a 19-21, 19-21 defeat against duo Nguyen Huy Giang and Ngo Hai Van in the decisive match, in which Hai lost many points through careless mistakes.

Thai Nguyen-Thai Binh coach Doan Hong Tien said that favourite HCM City’s early elimination had helped Thai Nguyen-Thai Binh win the tournament.

In addition, there was an even level of ability among the Thai Nguyen-Thai Binh players, and all players were in good form, with Thai Binh-born Vu Thi Huong Lan of Thai Nguyen-Thai Binh and Pham Cao Thang of the National Sports Training Centre III Da Nang being extremely promising players.

In the third-place playoff, the National Sports Training Centre III Da Nang, with outstanding players Nguyen Ngoc Phuong Nhi and Vu Thi Trang, beat the youthfulness of Ha Noi 3-1 to secure third place and pocket VND20 million ($1,140) in prize money.

The National Team Badminton Championship Dong Luc Cup II, which started at HCM City’s Phan Dinh Phung Gymnasium last Wednesday, attracted the participation of nine teams with more than seventy top players from eleven provinces, cities and the National Sports Training Centre III Da Nang.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News