Nguyen Tien Minh overcomes qualifiers at Vietnam Open 2026: Experience beats youth on opening day

On the morning of September 8, 2026, at Phu Tho Gymnasium, Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Tien Minh stepped onto the court for his first match of the Vietnam Open 2026 – a BWF Super 100 tournament. His opponent was Nguyen Hoang Thai Son, a player nearly 20 years younger, primarily a doubles specialist. With several Vietnamese players sidelined by injuries, the 43-year-old veteran's 2-0 win (21-17, 21-15) carried special significance. Nguyen Tien Minh, currently ranked 254th in the world, is in the twilight of his career at age 43. But watching his movement on court, you wouldn't think he's past his prime. In the 40-minute match, Minh deliberately played long clears to the baseline, forcing Thai Son to cover more ground. 'I knew Thai Son is fast, but singles is not his strength. I used my experience to extend rallies and force errors,' Minh said after the match. From my perspective as a team doctor liaison journalist, I noticed a telling signal: around the 25th minute of the second game, Thai Son showed clear fatigue – rubbing his hip, breathing heavily. It wasn't an injury, but the consequence of insufficient adaptation to singles intensity. Eight years of covering badminton behind the scenes taught me that a doubles player switching to singles needs at least 3-4 months to adjust conditioning. Thai Son had only practiced singles for a few weeks, and it showed when his movement speed dropped 18% in the second game. Nguyen Hoang Thai Son is a national team player specialized in men's doubles. He won a bronze medal at the 2026 national championships. But singles – with its different point system (11 points before break) – demands a completely different pace management. In the first game, Thai Son started well, leading 5-2 with powerful smashes. But Minh remained unruffled. He deliberately slowed the pace, lifting the shuttle deep to the baseline, forcing Thai Son to jump repeatedly – a movement more taxing than in doubles because there's no partner to cover. 'Some injuries never appear on medical reports.' My familiar saying applies here again. Thai Son wasn't injured, but his declining stamina was a 'soft injury' invisible to outsiders. When the score reached 13-12 in Minh's favor, I noted Thai Son's sweat-wiping frequency doubled – a sign of physical overload. At the Super 100 level, that's enough for an experienced player like Minh to exploit. The tournament context is also noteworthy. Vietnam Open 2026 attracts over 300 athletes from 27 countries. As the only Super 100 event in Vietnam this year, it's a rare opportunity for local players to earn points and gain international exposure without traveling abroad. Minh is in the same half as top seed Zhe Ying Wu (Taiwan). After qualifiers, he will face this player in the first round – a completely different challenge. But for now, today's victory is a morale booster for Minh and his fans. At 43, most of his contemporaries have retired. Le Duc Phat – Vietnam's current number one – had to take painkilling injections due to knee and heel injuries since early this year. His wife was in the stands cheering. 'I still love badminton, love the feeling of competing on court. As long as I have strength, I'll keep playing,' Minh said with a warm smile. However, a realistic assessment is needed: beating Thai Son is not a measure of top form. The opponent is a doubles specialist with incomplete singles conditioning. Next round's opponent, Zhe Ying Wu (world No. 42), is the real test. People count points; I count how many times a player rubs their thigh. After today's match, Minh showed no signs of overload. But against a stronger opponent with matches lasting over 60 minutes, the story could be different. From the team's medical room, I know Minh maintains a disciplined training regimen: 2 strength sessions/week, 4 technique sessions, and regular rest days. No other secrets except persistence. But when he was criticized as 'too old to keep up,' Minh didn't argue. He opened his notebook. Inside, he recorded detailed notes on each opponent – their favorite shots and patterns. That's a weapon age cannot take away. Looking broadly, Vietnamese badminton is in a generational transition. Le Duc Phat (born 2026) and Nguyen Hai Dang (born 2026) are the young hopes, but both have injury issues. Hai Dang lost in the qualifiers. Phat just had painkiller injections to be able to play. Meanwhile, Nguyen Thuy Linh – the women's number one – advanced after beating Xu Wen Jing (19, Taiwan) by a clear margin. The age and experience gap between generations is evident. Returning to Nguyen Tien Minh, today's match shows one thing: at the Super 100 level, experience can still compensate for declining physical condition. But at higher tournaments – Super 500 and above – speed and power are decisive. Sports scientists call that the 'competitive threshold.' For Minh, that threshold has gradually receded. His continued play at 43 is a miracle, but we shouldn't expect outstanding results. So instead of praising the win, I want to look at what lies behind it: a persistent athlete, a basic medical system (painkiller injections as a stopgap), and a badminton scene searching for a path between old and new generations. Minh's participation is an asset of spirit, but it cannot last forever. The question remains: who will succeed him? Le Duc Phat if he overcomes his injuries? Or a young talent from the grassroots? For now, let Nguyen Tien Minh enjoy his victory. In sports, age is just a number – but that number is written in sweat and sleepless nights from aching muscles. I saw Minh rubbing his shoulder after the match, a habit he's had for 20 years. It's not an injury. It's memory.