Truong Vinh Hien speaks out after controversial pickleball match with Ly Hoang Nam

(Dan Tri) - Truong Vinh Hien admitted that he had learned a very expensive lesson after being accused of playing unfairly in the semi-final match of the PPA Tour Asia - Vietnam Cup 2025 pickleball tournament with Ly Hoang Nam.

Controversial victory of Truong Vinh Hien over Ly Hoang Nam

After finishing the PPA Tour Asia - Vietnam Cup 2025 pickleball tournament as runner-up, Truong Vinh Hien posted an apology on his personal page to the audience and those involved in the controversy in the semi-final match with Ly Hoang Nam.

Vinh Hien had a controversial match with Ly Hoang Nam (Screenshot).

Vinh Hien shared: “A memorable match, a lesson at the age of 20. First, I want to apologize to all the audience and those involved for having a controversial match.

Above all, I learned a lesson after an emotional match that I did not handle well. I did not intend to provoke, curse or disrespect anyone. If my eyes and actions at that time caused any misunderstanding, it was my own fault.

I have looked back at myself and faced and learned the lesson of calmness and professionalism in sports . Throughout my sports career, I have always respected everyone, from the audience to my teammates and opponents.

I hope the audience will happily give me a chance to improve myself. Thank you Hoang Nam for giving me an unforgettable match. Thank you audience for watching, accompanying and giving me feedback to help me become more mature.

Ly Hoang Nam was extremely angry after the referee said the ball went out (Screenshot).

I will continue to strive to improve myself every day and compete for Vietnamese pickleball. Once again, I would like to apologize for my attitude and see everyone again.”

The controversy arose in the third set, when the score was 8-6 in Vinh Hien’s favor. Hoang Nam hit a forehand volley and celebrated because he thought the ball was in the court. However, the referee caught the ball out, causing him to fall to the ground in disappointment. At this point, Hoang Nam could not contain his anger. He complained, causing the match to be paused for more than 1 minute. However, in the end, the referee still determined that the ball was out of the court.

It is worth mentioning that the slow-motion replay shows that the ball is still in the field. This is the situation where Hoang Nam was wrongly awarded. The above situation has caused a stir in the Vietnamese pickleball community, with many different opinions. Among them, many opinions have criticized the referee as well as Vinh Hien.

This scandal made Vinh Hien enter the final match with Phuc Huynh with a heavy mentality. In the end, Vinh Hien lost quite easily with the score 1-11 and 5-11.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/truong-vinh-hien-len-tieng-sau-tran-pickleball-tranh-cai-voi-ly-hoang-nam-20251005091328997.htm