Vietnamese badminton 'runs out of lives' at Singapore international tournament

The last remaining representative of Vietnamese badminton at the Singapore International Challenge 2026 was forced to accept a loss.

Vietnam's current top women's doubles pair - Pham Thi Dieu Ly/Pham Thi Khanh - were halted in the quarterfinals of the Singapore International Challenge 2026 after a 1-2 defeat (21-9; 11-21; 14-21) against Machi Nagasako/Yuzuki Nakashima (Japan) on the morning of February 28, Hanoi time.

Dieu Ly/Pham Khanh had a blazing start, completely dominating Nagasako/Nakashima, scoring points continuously to build a large lead, thereby securing a very convincing 21-9 win in the first game. However, in the remaining two games, the No. 4 seeded duo appeared outmatched.

In the second game, Dieu Ly/Pham Khanh engaged in a tight contest during the initial points but subsequently failed to maintain a sufficiently strong position, allowing their opponents to score 7 consecutive points and gradually "drift away," suffering a decisive 11-21 loss.

By the third game, the match flow remained entirely in favor of the Japanese representatives. Nagasako/Nakashima gradually pulled away from Dieu Ly/Pham Khanh from a 6-6 score, including a run of 6 straight points to establish a very large advantage. The two Vietnamese players made great efforts to narrow the gap but were ultimately unable to turn the tide, accepting a regrettable comeback defeat.

The defeat of Pham Thi Dieu Ly/Pham Thi Khanh means Vietnamese badminton officially has no more representatives left in this year's Singapore International Challenge. Prior to this, Nguyen Hai Dang was stopped in the men's singles round of 16, Le Duc Phat lost his opening match, the husband-wife pair Nguyen Tien Minh - Vu Thi Trang ended their journey right in the first round, and the men's doubles pair Nguyen Dinh Hoang/Tran Dinh Manh could not even complete their match.

Furthermore, several other players such as Phan Phuc Thinh, Bui Bich Phuong, etc., did not make it past the qualifying stage. Although it is an International Challenge level tournament, this year's event in Singapore attracted many strong players.