The result marked a significant milestone in the young player’s development and strengthened his determination to compete at higher levels.
Quốc Anh, born in 2014 and from Group 4 of Thong Nhat Ward, Gia Lai Province, first became interested in table tennis after his father took him to watch the 40th National Table Tennis Championship at what was then the Gia Lai Provincial Sports Hall, now the Pleiku Sports Arena.
At the age of eight, he was fascinated by the speed and intensity of the rallies. The performance of Nguyễn Đức Tuân, who had recently won the SEA Games and was competing on home ground, left a particularly strong impression on him.
That experience eventually led Quốc Anh to begin formal table tennis training in the summer of 2022.
From hitting the ball off the table to mastering advanced techniques
The early stages were difficult. Because of his young age and small stature, Quốc Anh frequently hit the ball off the table as he learned the basics.
“At first, I kept hitting the ball off the table, but thinking back to watching the older players compete at the sports hall, seeing those fast and beautiful rallies, I kept trying”, Quốc Anh recalled.
Võ Hữu Tài, head of Hữu Tài Club, has coached Quốc Anh since he first started playing. Initially, Tài advised the boy to wait another year because of his young age. But seeing his enthusiasm for the sport, the coach eventually agreed to train him.
After school and extracurricular classes, Quốc Anh’s father regularly took him to Hữu Tài Club on Nguyễn Đức Cảnh Street in Pleiku Ward for afternoon training.
Under Coach Tài’s guidance, he progressed from basic rally exercises to more advanced techniques, including topspin, backspin and looping.
Quốc Anh particularly enjoys practicing long-distance topspin and backspin shots and other demanding exercises. Some techniques took him weeks or even months to master.
When training became tiring, he would think back to the impressive rallies of Vietnamese and international players to maintain his motivation.
First major breakthrough came in 2026
As his training became more consistent, Quốc Anh began entering competitions and gaining valuable experience.
In June 2026, he won first place in the Junior category at the BONGBANTV Doubles & Junior Cup 2026, held at the Tan Son Nhat Community Table Tennis Club in Ho Chi Minh City.
The victory became an important confidence boost and encouraged him to continue training and competing.
His biggest breakthrough came at the 2026 National Youth, Teen, and Children’s Table Tennis Championship in Da Nang.
The 12-13 age group featured 128 athletes, with Quốc Anh battling through several opponents. After defeating a player from Da Nang, his father told him that he had advanced to the round of 32.
His next match against an athlete from a Military team presented an even greater challenge. Victory would secure a place in the national top 16.
Quốc Anh responded under pressure, winning the decisive fifth set to book his place among the tournament’s top 16 players.
His run ended in the quarterfinals against a player from the People’s Public Security - T&T team. Despite falling short of the semifinals, the tournament gave the 12-year-old important experience in technique, tactics and mental strength.
He subsequently competed at the 2nd Gia Lai Youth and Children’s Table Tennis Cup - PJICO in 2026, winning silver in the boys’ singles and gold in the boys’ doubles in the 12-13 age group.
Coach sees talent but says mental strength must improve
Coach Võ Hữu Tài said Quốc Anh had demonstrated both passion and natural ability since his earliest days in the sport.
The young player particularly enjoys demanding training exercises and often masters difficult techniques faster than his peers.
“Quốc Anh is bold and proactive, applying training drills effectively in matches, especially when facing opponents who train in professional environments.
However, he still needs to improve his competitive mindset, particularly at major tournaments”, Tài said.
Quốc Anh is now continuing to work on advanced techniques, physical conditioning and tactics ahead of the 2026 National Youth, Teen, and Children’s Table Tennis Elite Players Championship in Ninh Bình.
The tournament will bring together leading young players from across the country. Rather than focusing on the result, Quốc Anh says he wants to perform to the best of his ability.
“I will try my best to play as well as I can. If I’m lucky enough to get past one or two players from other teams, that would be an honor for me, since they train in more professional environments and have better opportunities for competition”, he said.
Long-term ambition in table tennis
Quốc Anh’s ambitions extend beyond his current competitions. After completing high school, he hopes to study table tennis at Bac Ninh University of Sports and Physical Education.
His journey began with a fascination for the fast rallies he watched at a local sports hall. Four years of training have since taken him onto increasingly bigger competitive stages.
Reaching the national top 16 in the 12-13 age group is only an early milestone, but it has given the young Gia Lai player greater motivation to develop his skills and pursue his ambition of becoming a leading table tennis athlete for the province.
