(VOVWORLD) - Le Duc Phat won his first ever international badminton title at the 2024 Uganda International Challenge which was held on Sunday in Kampala.
 Duc Phat wins first international badminton championship title in Uganda. (Photo courtesy of Uganda International Challenge)
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Phat, ranked 86th in the world, trounced Indian rival Raghu Mariswamy, placed at 139th globally, in the final round. However, the Vietnamese player didn’t get off to a good start as the Indian competitor took a 9-1 lead. Phat came back in the second and third matches which ended 21-18 and 21-14 in favour of the Vietnamese player.
The 26-year-old player from Dong Nai province triumphed in the men's singles final in just 40 minutes, thereby becoming the first Vietnamese athlete to achieve a top podium finish this year.
He received 4,000 points which upgraded his world position, thereby accumulating more points to secure a place for more competitions in the lead up to the Paris Olympics. The 2024 Uganda International Challenge drew the participation of 305 players from 49 countries worldwide. The tournament has a total prize pool of US$15,000.
Phat was the only Vietnamese playing at the event. Previously, he reached the quarter finals at the Iran Fajr International Challenge 2024 and the round of 16 at the Azerbaijan International 2024.