Nguyễn Tiến Minh has made history, becoming the first to represent Việt Nam three times in a row in the Olympics’ badminton event.

The Badminton World Federation yesterday announced a list of 30 male athletes who qualified for the Rio de Janeiro Games this August.

His girlfriend Vũ Thị Trang also received her first ticket to the competition.

Each nation can have no more than two athletes compete in the Olympics in Badminton. After a selection on Wednesday, Minh was chosen. He is world No 32, and No 17 among 37 finalists in the men’s singles event.

Trang is listed as the 25th among 38 rivals selected in the women’s singles.

“It will be my last Olympics, so it is much more meaningful than the previous times,” said 33-year-old Minh.

He added that he hoped he could train well and do his best in Rio.

Minh collected a world championship bronze medal and ranked fifth in the world in his peak performance time. In Beijing in 2008, Minh was stopped at the second round and four years later he failed to advance to the knockout round in London.

World No 48 Trang is the national top female athlete and is enjoying her Olympic debut at the age of 24.

To date, Việt Nam has collected 18 Olympic slots and is expecting more from judo, wrestling, athletics, boxing and archery. -- VNS