VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s leading badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh has said farewell to the 2012 Olympics after being defeated by India’s Kashyap Parupalli, the world’s 21st player.

The Indian player dominated the first set and finished it 21-9. In the second set, the two competed for each point. Minh tried hard to even the scoring but Kashyap Parupalli gained confidence and finished the set 14-21.

This was a big surprise because Minh currently ranks 10th in the International Badminton Federation’s ratings, compared to Kashyap Parupalli’s 21st.

Minh showed his overwhelming advantage against Parupalli in their last encounters before the Olympics.

Minh thrashed Kashyap Parupalli 2-0 at the 2011 BWF World Championships, the 2012 US Open Championships and most recently at the 2012 Badminton Swiss Open this July.

This is the second time that Minh said goodbye to the Olympics very early.

For the Vietnamese delegation, one more hope has faded. The latest hopes are taekwondo artists Le Huynh Chau and Chu Hoang Dieu Linh.

S. Tung