Champ’s got work cut out at SEA Games

Viet Nam’s top badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh will have the world’s top player, Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei, to overcome to win the gold medal at the 25th SEA Games.

Nguyen Tien Minh.

The world Number 7, seeded second, faces unseeded Nuan Sophorn of Cambodia in the first round and will probably come up against Lan Tanongsak of Thailand in the second round. A win will secure Minh a bronze medal.

If all goes to script then, Minh will face his first real test from Indonesia’s world No 9 and fourth-seeded Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the semi-final. Kuncoro reached the semi-finals at the World Championship in India last August.

A win will see him square off with Lee for the title.

At the 2007 SEA Games in Nakon Ratchasima in Thailand, Minh had to be content with a bronze after losing to Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia in the semi-final.

Minh, who has had a very successful year so far, winning three Grand Prix titles, is currently playing at the Hong Kong Super Series where he is the seventh seed.

The 2009 Viet Nam Open semi-finalist Le Ngoc Nguyen Nhung will meet Lydia Cheala of Malaysia in the first round in the women’s singles event while Nhung and Thai Thi Hong Gam will take on Thai duo Savitree and Vacharaporn in the doubles.

Defending national champions Bui Bang Duc and Dao Manh Thang will face the third-seeded Malaysian pair in the men’s doubles while national runners-up Duong Bao Duc and Pham Cao Hieu take on Hendra Ujaya and Hendri Saputra of Singapore.

National champions Duc and Gam will play Chan Peng Soon and Goh Lin Ying of Malaysia in the mixed doubles.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

 

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