Staksrud lost to Vinh Hien, and Hoang Nam won Vinh Hien in the men's singles event at the PPA Asia Tour Hanoi Cup 2026 recently, so you can understand it in many ways when the Argentine player said so. But no matter what, the meaning of those words is true.
Winning a match or winning the championship at home "doesn't say much", and if you want to know your true strength, you have to leave the familiar environment. "Earthquakes" can happen, but if only "sometimes", as Staksrud said, "it's just a victory". Level must be verified when stepping onto a larger playing field.
Not only sports, going to the big sea is a story of all aspects in social life. Going to the big sea, if you are good enough, is an affirmation of your self-worth. Conversely, failures will be something that peels off strength. In the country, you may be the fastest person, with good skills to be at the top, but outside, you may just be able to keep up with the pace of play, or skills are just a minimum condition.
Going out, everything becomes clearer. It is important not to be afraid or self-conscious when walking to position yourself. Going to the big sea, if conditions permit, is an important part of the development process. It's not about waiting to be good enough to go, but going to know what you are missing. Also not going with the mindset of having to prove something, but to verify.
Because without real "impacts", all assessments of competence can easily become subjective.
Vietnamese sports are having many positive signs. But perhaps, more important than regional victories is the frequency of appearance in major playgrounds. Not once, but a long enough repetition process to form real ability.
As for each individual, everyone has their own "home field". A place where you feel comfortable, confident, and sometimes superior. But if you are only there, it is very difficult to know your own limits. There are times when you have to step out, accept the feeling of being lost, to exchange for something clearer.
Know who I am. And know how far I can go.
