The Vietnamese chess team received the silver medal after losing to the Chinese team 0-2. However, the bravery and tenacity of athlete Nguyen Thanh Bao made it difficult for the host country to receive the gold medal.

Although his two juniors Lai Ly Huynh and Nguyen Hoang Yen lost, the 1978-born player still refused to give up in the match against the host country's chess master Uong Duong, which was only a formality, causing the match to last until 11 p.m.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Bao regretfully said: "At the 2010 ASIAD in Guangzhou, I unfortunately won the silver medal, losing to famous player Hong Tri in a 100% draw. This time I lost again because of bad luck in the endgame. I knew that the Vietnamese team would also lose, but a victory would have great spiritual significance. It's a pity that I had the opportunity but couldn't take advantage of it."

Receiving the silver medal for the mixed team, Nguyen Thanh Bao has not stopped yet, and will focus on competing with Chinese players in the individual event. The athlete born on August 26, 1978 said: "It is an honor for me personally and for the Vietnamese chess community to be the oldest athlete of the Vietnamese sports delegation at the 19th ASIAD. I still put all my heart and enthusiasm into the competition, and I also want to send a message to the young generation that competitive spirit is the deciding factor, not age."

Thirteen years after winning the silver medal at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, athlete Nguyen Thanh Bao has the opportunity to change the color of his medal at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. This will further fuel the 45-year-old player’s desire to win the event in China.

"After 13 years, looking at ASIAD 19, we can see that this congress was organized on a very large and grand scale. Now, Chinese chess is very different from before, with large investments in both Vietnam and China on a huge scale.

Chinese chess is becoming more and more professional. The opponents are much stronger. In 2010, I was the number 1 candidate of Vietnam, but now I have given up that position to Lai Ly Huynh, who is the main force of the Vietnamese Chinese chess team.

There will be an individual event coming up, and we will definitely fight for the gold medal with the host country, China. My teammates and I will try our best to bring glory to Vietnam," said chess player Nguyen Thanh Bao.