Could you tell me your feeling when you knew that you were no longer in the top ten players of the world?

I’m really sad and with regret because I did not play well in late 2011, especially at the two tournaments in Denmark and France.

 If I entered the quarterfinals of these events, I would have maintained my position in the top ten. But we cannot anticipate anything in sports.

 The public opinion has recently criticized you for being eliminated from the world top ten players. What do you think about this?

 The public often judges me based on my ranking and they do not look at my games. Some people say that I’m 30 now so my form is not very good and I’m no longer at my pinnacle. But reviewing what I have performed, I have made remarkable progress.

 At the recent tournaments in the UK and Switzerland, I faced Hong Kong’s top second player – Hu Yun. In the past, he defeated me 1-2, but at the competition in the UK I trounced him 2-0. My rival in the 1/16 round was the world’s third player – Chen Long and I also defeated him 2-0. Recently, he won again for 1-2. With my current drilling conditions, it is a success for me to defeat him.

In Switzerland, I gained a victory over Poland’s top player, who had just been the champion of the previous Challenge tournament. In the second round I defeated India’s second player, Kask Ya. This player is only 24 and he has been highly invested. So it is unfair to say that I’m weaker than many other athletes.

 Recently, I lost in the game against Danish player Hans Kristian, who ranks 15th in the world and played very well at recent tournaments. He seems to be more dangerous than Peter Gade. Because of this failure I have been eliminated from the world top ten. At the tournament in Germany and the UK, Kristian played equally and nearly defeated Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei, the world’s top players.

 The Olympics will take place this year. Other countries have focused their investment in athletes. After a long time concealing talents, now they send their best players to international competitions in order to win cards to the Olympics. It is difficult to know about rivals. South Korea’s top player Lee Hyun Il have registered 20 tournaments. Players in the world top 20 have registered from 16 to 24 tournaments. It is hard for me because all the strongest players participated in important tournaments.

 I think that experts do not judge me fairly.

 It is said that HCM City will give more financial assistance to you as a special seed. What do you comment about this?

 I’m getting more confident in the international arena. But if I move three steps forward, my rivals move five steps forward because they are invested from many sources. But I do not complain about this because it has been a fact for years.

 It is very difficult for me to win an Olympic medal because athletes of other countries have prepared for this great event for many years.

 It is not always true that huge investments will create victory, but it will be very good for me if I have good conditions to improve my skills.

 I’m trying my best to narrow the gap with high-ranking players. I have never been discouraged. I may not be able to defeat them but I will make them to know and remember about a Vietnamese player like me.

 I always exert great effort and I only hope that Vietnamese people will support me so I will firmly move towards higher pinnacles in my career.

 How has your exclusion from the world top ten impacted your sponsors?

 If I was in the top eight players, I would have had an advantage in drawing at Super Series tournaments or the Olympics and I would avoid strong rivals like Lin Dan or Lee Chong Wei in the first and second rounds.

 I was in the world top ten for 27 months and it is a record that not many athletes in the world could do. I will try to return to the top ten as soon as possible. Otherwise I will have to strive for standing in the world top 20.

 

TT& VH