Introduction
Nguyễn Tiến Minh is a prominent Vietnamese badminton player, known for holding the national number one position for 21 years and for being the first Vietnamese athlete to appear at four Olympic Games. At his peak, he rose to number 5 in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings.
Background and career
Nguyễn Tiến Minh first became familiar with badminton at age 10 when his father coached him, and soon after he took first place at a ward-level tournament. That early love led him to pursue the sport seriously.
At 18, he decided to become a professional badminton player instead of continuing his education along the path his family had envisioned. That same year, he was named to the national team. A year later, at 19, he drew attention by defeating veteran player Nguyễn Phú Cường to win the men's singles gold medal at the national championship.
During his career, he won the national championship 11 years in a row from 2002 to 2013; that streak ended because he did not compete in the 2014 tournament. As of the time recorded, he had a total of 16 national titles.
On the international stage, Nguyễn Tiến Minh competed in many major tournaments and achieved notable results, including four bronze medals at the SEA Games in 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2022. He also holds the record for appearances at the World Championships with 13, ahead of famous players such as Lin Dan (China) and Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia). His best result at the World Championships was a bronze medal. He was once recognised by the BWF for his endurance in competition.
In 2021, he competed at the Tokyo Olympics and became the oldest badminton player in the world to compete at that Olympic Games. He is also the first Vietnamese athlete to appear at four Olympic Games.
Main milestones
- Held the number one badminton position in Vietnam for 21 years; it was only in March 2023 that he lost the position to young player Nguyễn Hải Đăng.
- Once reached number 5 in the world in the BWF rankings.
- 11 consecutive years as national champion (2002 to 2013) and a total of 16 national titles.
- Four SEA Games bronze medals (2007, 2013, 2017, 2022).
- Record of 13 appearances at the World Championships.
- Four Olympic appearances, including the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
At age 40, he was still competing and said he would only think about retiring when he played poorly in 5 to 6 consecutive tournaments or when his health reached its limit.