Star father passes on passion and skills to his rising sons

Master class: Vu Manh Cuong instructs his son, Duy, 13, on a technique. Duy says his father is harder on him than he is on his team-mates . — VNS Photo Hoai Nam

Six years ago former star Vietnamese table tennis player Vu Manh Cuong has retired from the sport and started coaching.

He is now proudly training his sons, Vu Manh Duy and Vu Manh Huy who hope to break into the sport's professional circuit.

Last year Vu Manh Duy, 13, joined Ha Noi's T&T table tennis team after his parents transferred from Hai Duong Province to the capital.

Joining the team was a benchmark for the teenager.

Duy and his seven-year-old brother follow in their father's footsteps, as Duy channels the knowledge he has taken from his father into his new career with T&T.

Cuong hopes to take the 13-member squad of T&T to the top of Viet Nam's table tennis circuit.

The 37-year-old coach was the first Vietnamese player to win two champions in the men's singles events at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in 1995 and 2001 and seven national titles.

Duy, who began playing when he was six years old, still needs his father's guidance.

"I perfect my skills step by step. My father has taught me to be disciplined, which will help me to be successful. He is harder on me than he is on my teammates, who are the same age as me," says Duy. "I sometimes get fined by him when I mess up."

After 20 years of playing professionally, Cuong retired in 2003 and enjoys spending more time with his family.

"Over the past two decades, I lived primarily at the national sports camp rather than at home because I was so busy with training and competitions," Cuong said.

The Hai Duong-born table tennis prodigy was recruited by the national team in 1989, however his career ended on a low note when he was disqualified at the 2003 SEA Games in Viet Nam.

He was barred from playing in the group competition and failed to win the men's singles title for the third time.

"That year I was unlucky because I had only 10 days to recover from an appendicitis operation," says Cuong. "Although I played with all my heart, I was unable to pull out a win."

The 14 years that Cuong spent away from home training with the national team took its toll on the athlete and his family.

"Weekends were the only time that I could go back to my home, which was 60km away. My wife took care of everything so that I could continue to compete."

Cuong remembers when Duy came down with pneumonia when he was just nine months old.

"I was only able to see him for two hours in the evening at the hospital in Ha Noi, which was 12km from my sports camp. My wife is such a great woman; she always took care of our children when I was away."

After a poor performance at home at the SEA Games, Cuong returned to his hometown to coach the local team, but after a short stint, he moved back to Ha Noi to coach the T&T team.

"I have everything I want here. The good pay and the better working conditions are nice. I now receive a monthly salary that is five times higher than what I was paid at my old job," he says.

Happy

Cuong's wife, Phan Thi Hoa, and their two sons live together at West Lake's Sports Centre.

"This is a happy time for our family," says his wife Hoa. "The lonely days when my husband used to train are gone, and my kids have more chances to study and train under their father. Life is better now.

"I hope my sons will be stars in the future just like my husband was in the past. I continue to support their dream to play professionally, but they can choose their own jobs in the future if they want," says Hoa.

She also assist her husband with caring for the athletes that play for the T&T table tennis team.

"My husband coaches talented players, who are also teammates of my sons. We care for them just like their parents do because the players live far away from home," says Hoa.

Cuong is proud of his sons, who seem to have a God-given talent for table tennis. The first son has an enormous amount of skill for a teenage athlete, but he is physically weak because of the pneumonia he contracted at a young age that affected his physical development.

"He keeps his spirits high and doesn't back down against stronger opponents," says Cuong.

"I love the sport and I can play around the clock. I want to be a professional player in the next five years," Duy said.

Meanwhile, his younger brother Huy has the power to be a future champion.

Huy has trained in the 7-11 age group at the centre since last year.

"I study under my father, which allows me to pick up a lot of knowledge and skills. Table tennis is not only just a form of entertainment, it's my passion."

On the weekends Huy competes in tournaments organised by the table tennis forum in Ha Noi

"I'm progressing as a player. I gain a lot of experience from playing against older opponents. They play with different tactics and skills in comparison with training," says Huy.

In August, Huy clinched his first prize at the National Juniors Table Tennis Tournament in Vinh Long Province where he was named the tournament's best young player .

"I dream of being champion in the future, but I have to study well in school first. I feel so crazy every time I win. There is nothing that fills me with passion like table tennis, not even internet games." Huy said. — VNS