Thu Trang - Khanh Ly make comeback against South Korea, reach Asiad 20 sepak takraw women's doubles final

Vietnam's women's doubles sepak takraw team will play for the gold medal at the 20th Asian Games after a 2-0 semifinal victory over South Korea on September 28, 2026. Nguyen Thi Thu Trang and Nguyen Thi Khanh Ly started slowly, trailing 4-1 and 6-3 in the first game. Head coach Nguyen Thi Vui replaced Khanh Ly with Hong Lien at 3-6, and the substitute's finishing triggered a 12-point run that closed the game at 15-6. The second game followed the same pattern: Vietnam fell behind 1-5 and 7-3, then recovered to win 15-13. The result secured a final against the Philippines at 7:40 a.m. on September 29, 2026. The comeback said more about the coaching staff's courage than about dominance. In sepak takraw doubles, with only two players per side, one substitution rebuilds the entire rally structure. Yet the match also revealed a repeated weakness: slow starts in both games. In a best-of-three 15-point format, an early four-point deficit is a heavy price. Historic head-to-head superiority over the Philippines should not be treated as current form, and the early morning final adds an extra variable. The team also remains dependent on a single world-class pair, with limited depth behind Thu Trang, Khanh Ly and Hong Lien. The final will test whether Vietnam trusts its world champion starters or the substitute who changed the semifinal.