Teqball and karate give Vietnam first medals at Asiad 20

There was no flashy final shot. Trịnh Gia Nghi only needed to send the ball to the opponents' side in the suffocating silence of the Teqball court. The Indian pair touched the ball out, and Nguyễn Hoàng Minh Tân – Trịnh Gia Nghi immediately embraced. Vietnam's first bronze medal at Asiad 20 came from a sport most fans had not known before the medal table was updated. On the stands, Vietnamese sports officials stood up and applauded. They had not come to wait for a Teqball medal. They had come because of the schedule, because of a new sport, because of curiosity. When the referee confirmed the 2-0 score, surprise turned into cheers. The victory against India's Dsouza Quimcy Joaquim and Beg Mohamed Anas Imran in the mixed doubles bronze medal match was therefore more than a result. A young team, lacking continental experience, could still create a turning point if placed in the right rhythm. Teqball is not unfamiliar to anyone who has played football in tight spaces. The curved table, the unpredictable rebound, the need for every touch to have a purpose. Created by former Hungarian footballer Gábor Borsányi in 2026, Teqball turns football control skills into a competitive sport. At Asiad 20, it was part of the programme for the first time. The rules are simple. Each side has no more than three touches before returning the ball. Players can use feet, thigh, chest and head, but not hands. The curved table changes the trajectory, forcing players to anticipate before the ball hits the surface. Teqball is not only a technical sport; it is a sport of instinct. Minh Tân and Gia Nghi arrived with little pressure. That became their advantage. They did not need to protect a ranking. In the bronze medal match, they did the most important thing: kept the rhythm while their opponents started to rush. From the perspective of someone who has followed many Asian Games, this medal came from patience. The first set may have been cautious. In the second, the Vietnamese pair sped up and forced the Indians to move more. When Dsouza and Beg tired, Minh Tân's passes became sharper. Gia Nghi stayed lower, did not attack too deep, but was always ready for rebounds from the edge. This is how a team that understands its limits operates. They did not try risky shots. They made the opponents create their own mistakes. In a new sport with little data, emotional stability matters more than individual skill. The men's doubles later proved how narrow the gap was. Bá Trường Giang and Lê Anh Khoa lost to an Iraqi pair in the bronze medal match on the morning of September 20. In mixed doubles, the coordination between a male and female athlete created an edge. In men's doubles, Iraq showed better tactical preparation. Karate added Vietnam's second bronze on the same morning. Bùi Ngọc Nhi won the bronze in women's individual kata after losing 0-5 to Japan's Ono Maho in the opener. She then beat Choi Haeun of South Korea 5-0 and Leong Wai Yee Shannon of Singapore 4-1. Kata is not a direct contest. It is a performance of technique, strength, timing and focus before a panel of judges. One small mistake can ruin the entire routine. Beating the Korean athlete 5-0 immediately after a 0-5 defeat showed that Ngoc Nhi was not haunted by the opening result. The athlete had already made her mark at SEA Games 33 and Asian youth tournaments. At Asiad 20, this bronze is an important milestone. She still has a chance to add another medal when Vietnam faces Nepal in the women's team kata quarterfinal on September 22. The medal table after nearly half a day reflected the overall picture. China led with 2 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze. Lin Xinyu won China's first gold in the women's triathlon. Hosts Japan were second with 2 gold and 3 bronze. Macao, South Korea and Kazakhstan each had one gold. Vietnam was ninth with two bronzes. The ninth place is not a final measure. More important is how Vietnam won the medals. Both came from events demanding control and discipline. Teqball and karate kata are not as popular in Vietnam as football or athletics, but Vietnamese athletes have strengths in sports requiring agility, reflexes and reading situations. This suggests a long-term direction: investing in new sports where the gap between nations is not too wide. Teqball has just arrived in Vietnam, but players with a football background can adapt quickly. The potential workforce is already in youth football academies. With the right strategy, Teqball can become a key sport for future Asian Games. Karate kata is a similar story. It does not require superior physique like kumite, but it demands concentration and precision. Bùi Ngọc Nhi proved that Vietnamese athletes can compete at continental level if invested properly. The quarterfinal against Nepal will be the next test. Both medals came from performance or semi-performance events. Psychology decides. No opponent blocks your path, no referee creates controversy. Athletes are alone with their routine or with a teammate on a curved table. That is where Vietnamese calmness shows. They do not need to fight to prove strength. They only need to stay calm in decisive moments. Vietnam left the Teqball court with one medal. It may not be big, but it opens a new story. A sport never seen before at Asiad, without a formal training system in Vietnam, still made history. It proves that Vietnam does not lack talent; it lacks playing fields for talent to appear. The day ended with two bronzes. What this writer remembers most is not the medal table, but how athletes handled difficult moments. Trịnh Gia Nghi stayed calm when the ball bounced near the edge. Bùi Ngọc Nhi stood up straight after a loss. Those moments do not appear in the medal table, but they decide the colour of the medal. Asiad 20 is still long. With two bronzes, Vietnam has a decent start. To maintain this pace, the country must rethink investment in new sports. Do not wait until a sport becomes popular before building a team. Teqball today can create surprise. Karate kata today can create achievement. The biggest question is not how many medals they win, but whether we are patient enough to build from the smallest foundations.