VietNamNet
Bridge – At the age of 24, Thuy Dung – the top female tennis player in Vietnam
– has begun to thinking more about his sport, and not only how to win.

Tennis courts are a growing feature in Vietnam,
from small towns to big cities. However, there is a paradox: the number of
amateur players is multiplying but the contingent of professional players
remains stagnant.

As one of the several tennis players in
Vietnam who have drilled and competed in “heavens of tennis” in the world, like
the USA, Britain, Thailand, etc. Thuy Dung deeply understands this paradox.

She believed that Vietnam doesn’t lack young talents
but it lacks a good investment plan in tennis.

“To attend international events, tennis players
need a lot of investment. In the current conditions, it is extremely difficult
for Vietnamese players to join the Southeast Asia
circuit. Vietnam
may win the first gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games in the next 10-15
years. At present, senior players like Minh Quan, Mai Huynh and Quoc Khanh have
passed on their pinnacle while the younger players have not taken the right
track,” Dung said.

Thuy Dung joined the professional tennis
circles quite late. Thanks to her family’s support, Dung had the chance to
participate in many international tournaments.

“Playing tennis for ten years, I used to
think of giving up tennis many times,” Dung said, adding that she had to take
care of everything at once. Unlike Dung
professional tennis players often have a manager.

Dung is nurturing the plan to set up a
tennis institute in Hanoi,
to seek young talents. She took advantage of overseas trips to learn about the
operation of foreign sports institutes. She was very impressed by the
professionalism of foreign players and she wished Vietnamese players would be
professional like them in the near future.

“To change tennis in Vietnam, the
entire system must be changed. One or two persons can do nothing. But I think
that I myself must do well firstly. If I do well, I can influence others,” Dung
said.

Dung is turning her dream into reality step
by step: becoming a tennis coach in her own tennis institute.

Thuy Dung naturally loves tennis as she
often goes to tennis courts with her father. Dung began to show her talent in
tennis when she was twelve. Dung’ family realized that professional tennis
would be the right direction for their beloved daughter.

She was sent to the USA, the UK
and Thailand
to attend various training sessions. With her great efforts, Dung’s dream in
2006 come true after she defeated five-time champion Huynh Mai Huynh to win the
Cup at the National Games.

After her first hallmark, Dung continued
her enduous practice. At the national tennis championship 2008, she earned
prize money worth around US$10,000 which was much smaller than the investment
of Dung’s family to their daughter.

Dung once underwent long-term training at
the Vicbaden tennis institute in Los
Angeles, which cost a staggering US$8,000 a month. In
2008, Dung spent most of the time in Thailand for her training at her
parent’s expense (nearly US$90,000 of living expenses a year). Dung was also
once trained by coach Dodo, the first coach of famous Roger Federer.

Dung already achieved international acclaim
for young player by winning the women’s doubles and the runner-up at the World
Tennis Championship for U-18s four years ago in Vietnam. In 2008, Dung won a bronze
medal at the ITF Women’s Circuit held in Thailand in May – the first time a
female Vietnamese tennis player had done so well internationally.

In 2009, Dung went to the USA for
training with a target of soon reaching the world top 200.

She is currently the top female tennis
player in Vietnam.

PV