Asiad 20: Teqball's First Bronze and the Karate Pulse Behind the Medal Table

The first bronze medal at Asiad 20 was won by the pair Nguyen Hoang Minh Tan and Trinh Gia Nghi for the Vietnamese sports delegation in Teqball, defeating the Indian pair Dsouza Quimcy Joaquim and Beg Mohamed Anas Imran 2-0 in the mixed doubles bronze medal match. Teqball is a sport combining elements of football and table tennis, requiring players to have ball control, reflexes, individual technique and coordination, especially in doubles events. This sport was included in Asiad competition for the first time at Asiad 20, and although it is still fairly new in Vietnam, Minh Tan and Gia Nghi immediately made their mark on the continental stage. Notably, the Vietnamese Teqball team then missed the chance to win another medal when Ba Truong Giang and Le Anh Khoa lost to the Iraqi pair in the men's doubles bronze medal match on the morning of September 20. However, in Karate, athlete Bui Ngoc Nhi continued to help the Vietnamese sports delegation win another bronze medal in the women's individual kata event on the same morning. After losing to host athlete Ono Maho of Japan 0-5 in the opening match, Ngoc Nhi went on to defeat Choi Haeun (South Korea) 5-0 and Leong Wai Yee Shannon (Singapore) 4-1 to claim the bronze medal. This is a remarkable achievement for Ngoc Nhi after her marks at SEA Games 33 and Asian youth tournaments. At Asiad 20, the Vietnamese martial artist still has a chance to compete for more medals when she and her teammates enter the women's team kata quarterfinals against Nepal on September 22. After nearly half a day of competition, the Chinese sports delegation rose to the top of the medal table with 2 gold medals, 4 silver medals and 1 bronze medal. Athlete Lin Xinyu (women's triathlon) was the one who brought China its first gold medal at Asiad 20. Host nation Japan's delegation ranked second with 2 gold medals and 3 bronze medals. Macao, South Korea and Kazakhstan each also won 1 gold medal, ranking third to fifth respectively. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese sports delegation is temporarily ranked ninth with 2 bronze medals.