A likely end for Vietnamese table tennis’ Olympics dream

With two of its players defeated at the Southeast Asian qualification tournament in Thailand, the dream of a journey to the 2012 London Olympics for the Vietnamese table tennis team has come to an end.

On Sunday, Vietnamese players Tuan Quynh and Viet Linh were both beaten by their Singaporean rivals, in the semifinals at the Table Tennis Southeast Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament, 2012.

In the men’s category, Quynh, ranked 251st in the world, quickly lost 1-4 to the world’s number 48, Zhan Jian. Meanwhile in the women’s category, Linh was also trounced 0-4 by the world’s number 14, Li Jiawei.

The champions of the Southeast Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament 2012 are qualified for a ticket to London.

The door to the Olympics has almost closed shut to Vietnamese table tennis, since they also have little chance of making it at the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament, which is taking place in Hong Kong in April -- the last opportunity for them to grab a ticket to London.