Do Tuan Duc and Pham Nhu Thao saved Vietnam from finishing empty handed at the Ciputra Hanoi-Yonex Sunrise Vietnam International Challenge 2018, as they won their mixed doubles final match against Russian opponents on March 25, to earn the host country’s only gold medal in this year’s event.
With the fanatic support of the local fans, the Hanoi duo fought back from a set down at 20-22 to beat Evgenij Dremin and Evgenij Dimova 2-1, with two consecutive triumphs of 24-22 and 21-15 in the next two sets.
Alongside the mixed doubles title, Vietnam also pocketed one bronze medal in the women’s singles category, thanks to the brilliance of another Hanoi player, Nguyen Thuy Linh.

Vietnam's no. 1 shuttler, Nguyen Tien Minh, play under form in this year's competition.
Vietnam’s greatest hope, world no. 48 and no. 2 seed Nguyen Tien Minh, could not defend his men’s singles crown after losing 1-2 (20-22, 21-9, 21-23) to the Indonesian underdog, world no. 278 Wisnu Yuli Prasetyo, in the quarterfinals.

Vu Thi Trang follows her husband, Tien Minh, to stop in the women's singles quarterfinals.
The brightest Vietnamese competitor in the women’s singles competition, world no. 48 Vu Thi Trang, also failed to live up to expectations, succumbing to a 0-2 quarterfinal defeat (19-21, 8-21) against world no. 201 Liang Ting Yu of Chinese Taipei.
The four-day annual tournament brought together more than 290 shuttlers, representing 18 countries around the world, with Vietnam being represented by 67 competitors in all five events: the men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and the mixed doubles discipline.
Source: VNA
In recent years, Lac Thuy district has paid increasing attention to investing in cultural and sports infrastructure. These grassroots facilities have attracted a large number of residents to participate in recreational and cultural activities, physical training, and community engagement, contributing to the development of cultural life and the local socio-economic growth.
In recent years, the mass physical training and sports (PTS) movement in Hoa Binh province has developed strongly and spread widely. Regardless of age, gender or occupation, people actively participate in physical training, creating a vibrant and enthusiastic sports atmosphere within the community.
Recently, Hoa Binh’s athletes have continued to show strong performances at national-level competitions. Alongside elite athletes, several standout performers have emerged from grassroots sports movements, underlining the province’s growing sports culture.
From April 26 to 27, at the Provincial Sports Arena, the Hoa Binh Provincial Karate Federation organized the 2025 Hoa Binh Open ASUDO Karate Championship.
While modern sports like volleyball and football continue to grow in popularity, traditional folk games and ethnic sports remain a vibrant and essential part of cultural life among the Muong community in Hoa Binh province.
A total of 85 young players from across Hoa Binh province recently participated in the provincial Youth Table Tennis Tournament. Organised by the provincial Centre for Youth Activities, the event was part of activities to celebrate the 94th founding anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (March 26, 1931 – 2025) and the 79th anniversary of Vietnam Sports Day (March 27, 1946 – 2025).