More notably, the People's Public Security team unexpectedly rose to the top of the overall standings, thanks to three gold medals won by the new generation, highlighting significant shifts in Vietnamese table tennis.
The 44th Nhan Dan Newspaper National Table Tennis Championships for the Ca Mau Fertiliser Cup 2026, which form part of the 10th National Sports Games, have just concluded, showcasing stronger competition among the participating teams.
With the results of the championships directly affecting their performance at the National Sports Games, localities and sectors made more thorough preparations for their squads. Many teams stepped up their training programmes and competed overseas, with a wider range of destinations and approaches.
That investment was reflected directly on the table, in the quality of the matches and, particularly, in the progress made by young athletes.
At the previous National Sports Games, Nguyen Anh Tu of Ha Noi and Mai Hoang My Trang of Ho Chi Minh City won the men's and women's singles gold medals respectively. This year, both titles changed hands. Dinh Anh Hoang, who shared third place at the previous Games, claimed the men's singles title in the colours of the People's Public Security team, having previously won the 2025 national championship.
In the women's singles, Tran Mai Ngoc, now representing the People's Public Security team, made an even more notable breakthrough. Having failed to reach the top four at the previous Games, she has now become champion.
Three gold medals won by Dinh Anh Hoang, Tran Mai Ngoc and the Dinh Anh Hoang-Le Dinh Duc pair in key events marked a turning point for the People's Public Security team.
Not considered the leading contender before the tournament, the People's Public Security team unexpectedly moved to the top of the overall standings, overtaking the Ho Chi Minh City team.
While the People's Public Security team benefited from the development of its leading players, the Ho Chi Minh City team continued to demonstrate considerable strength in the women's and doubles events.
The team won the women's team gold medal, as well as securing top positions in the mixed doubles and women's doubles. However, those results were not enough to keep Ho Chi Minh City at the top, as the team lacked additional gold medals in the men's individual events.
This has also been a longstanding issue for Ho Chi Minh City. The city continues to have some of the country's leading female players, but has yet to produce a generation of male athletes capable of regularly challenging for medals.
As competition in men's table tennis becomes increasingly intense, this gap is becoming a clear weakness in terms of squad depth.
The journeys of Dinh Anh Hoang and Tran Mai Ngoc also demonstrate the value of long-term investment. Both athletes have received investment and training from T&T Corporation, with regular opportunities to train and compete internationally. Following their SEA Games mixed doubles title, the two players received record bonuses of around 1 billion VND from T&T.
Overseas training camps and competitions have enabled them to gain experience, strengthen their competitive confidence and gradually move into the leading group.
Dinh Anh Hoang and Le Dinh Duc are another special case. The two athletes were developed and trained with investment from T&T and Ha Noi. Four years ago, they competed for Ha Noi; they now represent the People's Public Security team.
At the previous Games, they were still regarded as members of the next generation. Four years later, their status has changed significantly. Hoang has become the men's singles champion, while the Hoang-Duc pair retained the men's doubles gold medal.
However, this is not yet a complete generational transition. What stands out at this year's championships is that the new champions have been unable to dominate every event. Despite having won the SEA Games mixed doubles title together, Dinh Anh Hoang and Tran Mai Ngoc were unable to win the mixed doubles crown here.
In the other doubles events, the titles also changed hands repeatedly. This shows that competition is becoming broader, with fewer events in which the winner can be predicted with confidence.
The experience of the previous generation therefore remains valuable. Despite having passed her peak, Mai Hoang My Trang was still able to win a title.
This shows that table tennis is not determined by youth alone. The ability to read a match, ball-handling skills and experience accumulated over many years can still make the difference.
If Dinh Anh Hoang and Tran Mai Ngoc are leading representatives of the generation that has reached the top, young athletes such as Nguyen Xuan Phuc of Thanh Hoa, Hoang Tra My of the People's Public Security team and Lam Thu Cuc of the Military team are the next promising signs.
Their confident performances against more experienced players show that the younger generation is no longer appearing merely to gain experience, but is beginning to have the ability to compete at the highest level.
The Nhan Dan Newspaper championships organising committee thanked PetroVietnam Ca Mau Fertiliser JSC and the tournament's sponsors for their support.
