Shuttle-cock team to defend world No 1 title

Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam will defend their No 1 position in the upcoming World Shuttle-cock Championship, which will be held in Hong Kong (China) from July 20.

Vietnam are the world’s best team in this sport. They have dominated the event in the last seven world tournaments, since it was first organised in 2000 in Hungary.

Coach Nguyen Tiet Cuong said a 18-strong team - nine men and nine women - would take part in the event. Most of them were part of the winning squad in the previous championship. Others are younger players with outstanding performances in recent local tournaments.

“It is the highest number of players being sent compared to the previous years. We are determined to defend our top spot in the Hong Kong competition,” said Cuong, adding the team’s strongest areas were men’s and women’s individual and team categories.

The coach, who is a former world winner, said Vietnam’s biggest rival is China, but this year France, Germany and Hungary are also strong. They will create difficulties for the defending champions.

The championship will begin on July 21 and the finals are scheduled on July 28.

Shuttle-cock is one of Vietnam’s strongest sports, in which it has brought home many gold medals from different tournaments, including the Southeast Asian Games, the Asian Indoor Games, and the Asian Beach Games.-VNA