Vietnamese Team Falls Short in BXL Badminton League Opener Despite Axelsen‘s Efforts
Jakarta, Indonesia – October 6, 2025 – A team featuring Vietnamese badminton player Nguyen thuy Linh suffered a narrow defeat in their opening match of the BXL Badminton league in Jakarta, indonesia, on October 2nd, despite a dramatic victory and subsequent loss in a decisive match by Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. The Lightning team ultimately lost to their opponents after a tiebreaker, jeopardizing their chances for the $350,000 grand prize.
The unique tournament format consists of teams comprised of two singles and two doubles players, competing in best-of-five game matches lasting eight minutes each. While the Lightning team – including Alfian, Nur Izzudin Rumsani, Yuta Watanabe, Shevon Lai, alongside Axelsen, Jonathan Christie, Michelle Lee, Chirag Centhi, Ong Yushin, Sabar Gutama, Afriyani Rahayu, and Lai Pay Jing – initially secured a 3-2 win in the first round against Gutama, Ong Yushin, and Lai Pay Jing, they faltered in subsequent matches. Nguyen Thuy Linh lost 0-4 to Michelle Lee, and despite Axelsen’s 3-2 victory over Jonathan Christie in the third round, the team ultimately lost the fourth match 1-3, forcing a tiebreaker.
In the crucial tiebreaker, Axelsen and Christie were again paired, but the Lightning team lost 4-5, resulting in overall defeat. This loss eliminates the team from immediate contention for the winning prize, meaning Nguyen Thuy Linh will miss out on a potential share of the $40,000 prize money. The BXL Badminton League, running from October 2nd to 5th, boasts a total prize pool of $750,000 (approximately 20 billion Vietnamese Dong), with the winning team receiving $350,000 (approximately 9.2 billion Vietnamese Dong) to be divided amongst its members.
The Lightning team will face the Hurricane team on October 3rd, requiring a win to remain in championship contention.