Mr. Tran Canh De, born in 1940, was once considered one of the typical faces of the golden generation of Vietnamese table tennis from the late 1950s to the 1970s. Together with his brother Tran Canh Duoc, as well as the names Mai Van Hoa and Le Van Tiet, he contributed to creating a brilliant period, bringing Vietnamese table tennis to the world's great powers.
In his competitive career, Mr. Den left many impressions with the gold medal at the 1959 SEAP Games (the predecessor of the 2016 SEA Games) and the 62 Asian bronze medal. In particular, he was also a member of the team that won 3rd place in the world team in 1959 - an achievement that is still mentioned as a historic milestone in Vietnamese sports.
Experts recognize Mr. Den as a dedicated, emotional player, on par with legends Mai Van Hoa or Le Van Tiet - the tennis player who was ranked 6th in the world. At his peak, Mr. Den was in the top 30 strongest tennis players in the world, something that very few Vietnamese athletes could reach.
After 1975, he moved to coaching and coaching many localities, continuing to pass on the passion of table tennis to the next generations. That passion was also extended through his son, Tran Canh Tuan - currently the leader of the Vietnam Table Tennis Federation.
Despite his old age, Mr. Tran Canh Den still regularly participates in exchanges and activities at clubs until his health has declined in the past year.
His passing left deep regret in the hearts of fans and sports fans of the country.
