Vietnamese table tennis player Doan Kien Quoc could soon be playing abroad, after recently receiving an invitation from a Turkish club.
His performance at last week's Beijing Olympics must have impressed the Istanbul club leaders, who promised to pay Quoc around US$1,000 per month, much higher than the salary he currently earns in Vietnam.
In the first meeting between the two sides in Beijing, Istanbul officials expressed their hope to bring Quoc to Turkey from the beginning of November to next June. The contract can then be extended based on his performance.
On top of his salary, Quoc would be given an allowance for accommodation, transportation and meals during his stay in Turkey.
As part of the club, Quoc would compete in local and international tournaments wearing an Istanbul club jersey.
The two-time Olympian confirmed the offer, and expressed his surprise at the invitation, saying that it would be a good chance for him to improve his skills, technique and income. Quoc currently makes VND3 million (around $180) per month.
Despite the generous offer, he has not yet announced his official decision. The biggest obstacle may be the long period (nearly seven months) he would stay in Turkey, as Quoc is a key member of both the national and Khanh Hoa provincial teams.
With the Olympics now over, Quoc is scheduled to participate in the next most important event, the Southeast Asian Table Tennis Championship in November in Indonesia. He will also lead the Khanh Hoa team at the national championship in early 2009.
He is also worried about his capacity to integrate into a new country, where he will encounter a new language, culture and other novelties.
Moreover, he still needs approval from sport leaders of the local club and the Viet Nam Administration of Sports.
Quoc is the first and only Vietnamese table tennis player in the Southeast Asia region to have played in the Athens and Beijing Olympics.
In Beijing last week, the top national player, who stands at 222nd in the world, won two first round matches before losing to Christophe Legout of France who is world seed No 29. Although his victories did not lead him to a medal, it was more than Vietnamese fans expected. In the first Olympics in Athens in 2004, Quoc didn't win a single match and went home empty-handed. Quoc said his target at Beijing was to win at least one game.
This would not be the first time a Vietnamese table tennis athlete has moved abroad. The first Khanh Hoa athlete 'imported' to play abroad was volleyballer Ngo Van Kieu, who is currently playing for Indonesia's Samato club on loan.
The first Vietnamese athlete to ever play for an overseas club was former national footballer Le Huynh Duc, who played for China's Lifan.
Source: Viet Nam News