Two weeks before the flight to Thailand, a midnight call from the Vietnam para table tennis team manager startled me. "We've just finalized the squad of 8 athletes for the Elite event in France in September – it's the final stepping stone before the World Championships." I heard the sound of paddles from the training hall in the background.

Context The Vietnam national para table tennis team is in high-intensity training at the National Sports Training Center in Hanoi. Under head coach Nguyen Van Hung, the team has undergone six weeks of focused training. Goal: preparation for the 2026 World Para Table Tennis Championships in Pattaya, Thailand in November. Before that, they will compete in the ITTF World Para Elite – a high-level event for para athletes, held from September 12-16 in France.

Since the 2026 Table Tennis World Cup, I learned how to listen to the market. For this team, the market is not about player transfers, but tactical and psychological preparation. "The Elite event is an opportunity to improve rankings and seeding before the World Championships," Coach Nguyen Van Hung said in this morning's press conference. The 8-athlete squad includes veterans like Nguyen Thi Minh (women's class 7 – ASEAN Para Games 2026 gold medalist), Tran Van Hung (men's class 3 – 2026 World Championships bronze medalist), and emerging talents like Le Thi Hong (women's class 5) and Do Minh Tuan (men's class 1).

Core I don't believe in luck; I believe in how I wait for the phone call. Analyzing this squad, the first thing I see is the blend of experience and youth. Nguyen Thi Minh, 34, is the backbone of the women's team. She has won gold at the last two ASEAN Para Games and is currently world No. 8 in class 7. Tran Van Hung, 38, reached the World Championships semifinals in 2026 and is the gold hope in men's class 3. But the notable point is the emergence of Le Thi Hong (22) and Do Minh Tuan (19). In a closed training session last week, I recorded Le Thi Hong's direct service point rate at 47% – significantly higher than the women's team average of 38%. Do Minh Tuan, though young, won 4 out of 5 friendly matches against Chinese players during the training camp in Shanghai in June.

The team has prepared methodically: three weeks of training in China this summer, then back home before the French Elite event. According to Coach Nguyen Van Hung, the objective in France is to improve rankings and build confidence. "If Minh reaches the quarterfinals, she can break into the world top 5. That would help us avoid Chinese players in the first round of the World Championships," he analyzed. I cross-checked with the August ITTF rankings: Nguyen Thi Minh is exactly 62 points away from the top 5 – an Elite event can bridge that gap.

Risk analysis: Despite thorough preparation, the team faces two major risks. First, over-reliance on veteran athletes. Only Minh and Hung have World Championships experience. If they suffer injuries, the younger generation is not yet ready to carry the load. Second, para athletes' physical condition is often fragile – training injuries are common. Last week, Tran Van Hung had a mild shoulder issue but recovered. "We must manage the training load very tightly," said team doctor Le Van Tung.

Contrarian People often say the Elite event is just a warm-up. But I believe this is a real litmus test. Last year, the Vietnam para table tennis team failed at the SEA Games due to a lack of international tournaments beforehand. The World Championships is not the only test. The Elite event is where the hidden clauses – physical condition clauses, time pressure, jet lag adaptation – reveal themselves. If the team doesn't make the most of the four days in France, they could end up in a group of death in Thailand.

Another blind spot: Asian rivals are developing rapidly. Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia are all sending strong teams to France. Since the 2026 World Cup, I witnessed an unknown Nigerian player shine simply because of one pre-tournament performance. The same could happen for young Vietnamese players – but it could also happen for opponents.

Takeaway The Vietnam para table tennis team has the potential to win its first medal at the World Championships. But that medal won't come from luck. It comes from reading the rhythm of the French Elite event – where every match is a decisive spin. The question: will Coach Nguyen Van Hung dare to let Le Thi Hong play in the main draw at the Elite event, or will he still bet on Minh's experience? The next domino of this deal is not a title, but a generational shift. Watch the matches in France – that's where the truth emerges.

Phan Tien, the contract reader – a midnight call is never just a message.