Two Vietnamese teenage table tennis players won the gold medal in the U17 girls’ doubles at the 2024 U.S. Open Table Tennis Championships on Saturday morning (Vietnam time), defeating their U.S. rivals 3-2.

Do Le Van Chi, 14, and Do Le Van Linh, 13, two siblings from Vietnam’s Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, beat U.S. duo Emily Quan, 17, and Abigail Yu, 12, 3-2 to claim the top spot.

Van Chi and Van Linh were champions in both the women’s doubles and women’s team events at the 2023 National Youth Table Tennis Tournament in Vietnam, while Emily Quan won bronze medals in the U17 and U19 girls’ singles at the 2023 U.S. National Table Tennis Championships, and Abigail Yu claimed three golds in the U11 girls’ singles, girls’ doubles, and mixed doubles at the 2024 ITTF Pan American Youth Championships.

On Thursday, Van Chi and Van Linh had won the silver medal in the U15 girls’ doubles, after losing 2-3 to the American pair Mandy Yu and Abigail Yu.

The siblings, along with other top Vietnamese players, competed at the 2024 U.S. Open Table Tennis Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, from Monday to Saturday.

Vietnamese teenage table tennis duo Do Le Van Chi (L) and Do Le Van Linh (R) receive the gold medal of the U17 girls’ doubles at the U.S. Open Table Tennis Championships, December 21, 2024. Photo: Supplied

The event attracted 1,478 players from 19 countries and territories with a total prize pool of US$68,000.

This marks the first time Vietnamese table tennis players have participated in this prestigious tournament, which featured many world-class competitors. 

Nearly all of the Vietnamese athletes at the event are self-funded, as they lack personal coaches for tactical guidance.

The main professional supporter for Van Chi and Van Linh is Tran Canh Tuan, vice president of the Vietnam Table Tennis Federation and head of the delegation. 

The entire cost of their trip to the U.S. was covered through a combination of funding from the Vietnam Table Tennis Federation and the athletes’ own resources. 

This is a positive development for Vietnamese table tennis, as in the past, without such support, players would not have had the opportunity to compete in major international tournaments like the U.S. Open.

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