VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam's top player Tran Tuan Quynh will compete at the Asian Cup in Yokohama, Japan, on March 26-27, according to the Viet Nam Table Tennis Federation.


HTML clipboard Tough draw: Top player Tran Tuan Quynh serves the ball in a men's singles match at the National Table Tennis Championship in Ha Noi. The Hanoian will compete in the Asian Cup in Japan later this month. (Photo: VNS)
Quynh, who is ranked 238th in the world, is the only Vietnamese player expected to compete in the continental tournament.

The Asian Cup organising committee invited only the top 32 male and female players from Asian countries to compete in the event.


The left-hander will be up against stiff competition in the form of China's Ma Lin and Chen Qui, Japan's Jun Mizutani and South Korea's Oh Sang Eun in the men's singles competition.


"It's the first time a Vietnamese player has won a berth at the Asian Cup. Quynh is the highest ranked Vietnamese player in the world, so he will represent Viet Nam at the Cup," Viet Nam Table Tennis federation's general secretary Pham Duc Thanh told Viet Nam News.


"It's an honour for Quynh, but it will also be a tough job as he will be competing with giants from China, Japan and South Korea," Thanh added.


Last week, the 28-year-old and his teammate Phan Huy Hoang moved from Ha Noi to Ha Noi T&T on five-year contracts.

Quynh took the Southeast Asian Championship in 2002 and the Southeast Asian Games Championship in 2003.


VietNamNet/Viet Nam News