Garden Grove’s Nguyen Comes Out on Top Once Again

Garden Grove’s Tam Nguyen couldn’t have mapped out a better year for himself in high school badminton. Only in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that he would win, not only the Southern Section boys’ singles title, but the Division I team title, as well. And that is why for the second consecutive year, Nguyen has been named The Times Orange County Player of the Year.

“It has been a perfect year,” Nguyen said. “It’s 1999, the millennium, the last year before the end of the century. And this was a great ending. It was a great bang to go out with.”

Nguyen, a senior, accomplished everything in 1999 that he just missed in 1998.

In the Southern Section individuals, he went up against top-seeded Hoang Bui of Long Beach Wilson. Bui defeated Nguyen in last year’s semifinals and Nguyen had yet to defeat Bui in any competition. But this was Nguyen’s year.

After knocking off Villa Park’s Mike Chansawangpuvana in the semifinals, Nguyen came out and defeated Bui, 15-11, 15-10.

“When I walked into the gym that day, the first few games I didn’t really care,” Nguyen said. “But when I got to [Chansawangpuvana] the fire just started burning. I told myself that I don’t want this freshman to take this away from me. When I played Bui, I didn’t feel worried and I didn’t feel confident. We are both equal players; I just came out on top.”

After winning the individual title, Nguyen didn’t think things could get much better, but he wasn’t finished yet, as he and the rest of his Argonaut teammates upset Villa Park in the team finals. Last year the Argonauts lost in the finals to Alhambra Keppel.

“I feel like I’m on top of the world,” Nguyen said. “You win CIF singles and you don’t think it can get any better, but it does.”

Nguyen will continue his education at UC Irvine, to study mechanical engineering. He also wants to continue playing badminton.

“I heard they have a gym there, I might as well shoot around,” Nguyen said. “And [Garden Grove Coach Prat Mallawong] says he’ll train me,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen, who only began playing badminton his sophomore year, credits former Coach Vicki Toutz and Mallawong with everything he accomplished.

“Vicki Toutz saw my talent and put me in singles,” Nguyen said. “She saw it in me and I am grateful to her. [Mallawong] just believed in me. He just told me to do it. He didn’t need to say anything else. He knew, I knew.”