After losing his right hand 41 years ago, a Vietnamese table tennis coach still enjoys life and a passion for playing and teaching his sport.

Nguyen Duy Viet, a 64-year-old former soldier, has been a ping-pong instructor at the Ba Dinh sports center on Quan Thanh Street, Hanoi, for many years.

Viet is full of joy, optimism, and has an appreciation for life, according to Lieutenant General Nguyen Phuc Hoai, a former official at the General Political Department under the Ministry of National Defense, and one of Viet’s students.   

“I used to play tennis, badminton, billiards, and more. Now I find table tennis better suited for my age,” Lt. Gen. Hoai said.

“I ran into Viet one day and discovered that he was teaching table tennis at the sports center and decided to attend his class three times a week,” the former military official recounted.

Despite losing a hand over four decades ago, Viet’s expertise, facilitated by enthusiasm and an optimistic spirit, is superb, Hoai elaborated, adding that sport not only brings health but also the joy of life to people like him and Viet.

Students of the one-handed coach are mainly adults, but Viet makes exceptions to teach those under special circumstances, including children with autism and senior citizens with failing health or eyesight.

“I’ve played table tennis with a burning passion for 40 years. You can only master the form of sport through relentless practice and a love for the game,” the teacher explained.

Despite lacking coaching certification, many people in the capital still choose to enroll in Viet’s class, which only costs VND100,000 (US$4.49) per hour.

The coach sometimes has to teach three to four shifts in a single day, he said.

Viet was born in 1952 with an innate passion for sport and was introduced to it at an early age.

In 1969, the coach joined the military and served as an air defender in the north-central province of Quang Tri for three years, during which he kept a table tennis paddle at his side to play with his comrades whenever there was free time.

“Ping-pong helped me stay positive during my roughest times in the war,” Viet said.

The trainer lost his right arm in an accident while serving in the military, bringing about a turning point in his life.

After peace was reestablished, Viet returned to the Hanoi University of Agriculture to finish his studies, bringing along great optimism and determination.

“Nothing is impossible. I still have my left hand and have learned to write and practice table tennis with it,” Viet asserted.

The coach has been teaching table tennis for over two decades in several places, earning a living and fueling his passion for ping-pong.