Information that the Vietnamese table tennis team is preparing to have a naturalized player is widely shared on the Vietnamese table tennis forum, with the source coming from a reputable domestic table tennis website.

Accordingly, female athlete Wu I Chi - a young player who used to be on the Taiwan (China) youth table tennis team - expressed her desire to become a Vietnamese athlete, aiming for international tournaments with the team, even wishing to participate in the SEA Games as well as the goal of winning a ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Tennis player Nguyen Khoa Dieu Khanh shockingly lost to athlete Wu I Chi at the Con Son International Cup (Hai Duong) held last September (Photo: Tuan Bao).

Wu I Chi is believed to be able to meet the conditions for naturalization as her mother is Vietnamese. She is also considered a young talent who can contribute a lot to the Vietnamese team if she is successfully naturalized.

This 19-year-old female athlete caused a shock when she defeated Vietnam's number one female tennis player Nguyen Khoa Dieu Khanh in the semi-finals of the Con Son International Cup held in Hai Duong last year.

In the final match with her compatriot, Wu I Chi continued to win to win the Gold Medal (HCV) in the women's singles of the tournament. However, Wu I Chi is still not ranked in the world rankings for both youth and adults due to her lack of participation in international tournaments to accumulate points.

Notably, the 19-year-old player is actually no stranger to the coaching staff and members of the Vietnamese table tennis team as she has repeatedly asked to practice with the Vietnamese team every time she returns to Vietnam with her mother.

Speaking with Dan Tri reporter , General Secretary of Vietnam Table Tennis Federation, Nguyen Nam Hai confirmed that the information about athlete Wu I Chi applying for naturalization and competing for the Vietnam table tennis team is true, but not exactly as shared on social networks.

"In fact, this athlete's family asked us if we could compete for the national team if we were naturalized as Vietnamese citizens, but there was no written request," said Mr. Nguyen Nam Hai.

According to Mr. Nam Hai, the level of athlete Wu I Chi is actually only equivalent to the athletes of the Vietnam table tennis team. "The athlete's family must take care of the naturalization procedures themselves. When they are successfully naturalized, the Federation will support their registration for competition, while their call-up to the Vietnam team depends on their actual ability and the decision of the Vietnam Sports Department," Mr. Nam Hai emphasized.

16 U15 and U19 players will participate in the 2025 Southeast Asian Youth Table Tennis Championship

The 2025 Southeast Asian Youth Table Tennis Championship will take place from April 17 to April 22 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Vietnam’s youth table tennis team will send 16 athletes and 5 coaches to compete in two age groups: U15 and U19.

The table tennis department (Vietnam Sports Administration) said that the professional department has developed a plan and training program for 16 national youth team players from next April.

In 2024, the Vietnamese table tennis team will participate in the 2024 Southeast Asian Youth Championship in the U15 and U19 age groups and win 3 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 4 bronze medals. The 3 gold medals of the Vietnamese team are in the U15 men's doubles (Do Manh Luong, Dinh Nhat Nam), U19 men's doubles (Tran Manh Cuong, Nguyen Hoang Lam), and U19 men's singles (Nguyen Duy Phong).

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/thuc-hu-thong-tin-bong-ban-viet-nam-nhap-tich-vdv-chuan-bi-cho-sea-games-20250308095941330.htm