Twenty-five players will vie for the 2019 Golden Ball award for best Vietnamese footballer of 2019 after organisers announced the nominees on December 16.
From left to right: Defender Doan Van Hau, striker Nguyen Cong Phuong, midfielders Nguyen Quang Hai and Do Hung Dung and defender Que Ngoc Hai are nominees for this year's Golden Ball title (File photos)
Hanoi (VNA) - Twenty-five players will vie for the 2019 Golden Ball award for best Vietnamesefootballer of 2019 after organisers announced the nominees on December 16.
Of those, Nguyen Quang Hai is the favourite for the contest which is organisedannually by Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon) newspaper.
Midfielder Hai, last year's winner, has been tipped for glory dueto his stellar season for his club Hanoi FC, the national team and theU23 squad. The ASEAN Football Federation named him Southeast Asia's topplayer for the year just weeks ago.
He will go up against players including his club teammate Do Hung Dung andhis captain Nguyen Van Quyet.
Striker Quyet is back in the running after a two-year absence that hesuffered due to a ban for violent conduct. He was voted thebest player of double-winning Hanoi FC in 2019, but has fallen out of favourwith national team coach Park Hang-seo.
One surprising nominee is forward Nguyen Cong Phuong who plies his trade forBelgian side Sint Truiden FC but has been restricted to a single cameosubstitute appearance for the senior team since signing in July.
However his performance at the Asian Cup where he scored three and assisted twogoals helped him secure the nomination.
Other players vying for the title are midfielder Nguyen Tuan Anh of Hoang AnhGia Lai, forward Nguyen Tien Linh of Becamex Binh Duong, defenders Que NgocHai of Viettel and Doan Van Hau of Hanoi and Heerenveen SC sinceSeptember and striker Ha Duc Chinh of Da Nang.
In the contest for the best female footballer, midfielder Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dungof Phong Phu Ha Nam, defender Chuong Thi Kieu of HCM City, striker Cu Thi HuynhNhu of HCM City and striker Pham Hai Yen of Hanoi are among 10 nominated.
Players such as defender Hau, midfielder Nguyen Hoang Duc of Viettel andgoalkeeper Nguyen Van Toan from Hai Phong will vie for best young maleplayer.
Other titles to be voted for are best young female player, futsalplayer and foreign footballer.
Organisers have sent voting cards to 190 football officials, managers,pundits, coaches, captains and journalists.
A shortlist will be revealed on December 31 and the awards ceremony willbe held in HCM City on February 13./.
The Vietnamese female football players became the champion of women’s football at the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines after defeating Thailand 1-0 on December 8, successfully defending their gold medal.
Media in Asia have given words of praises to coach Park Hang-seo and his Vietnam U22s disciples after they defeated Indonesia 3-0 to become the champion of the 30th SEA Games men’s football in the Philippines on December 10.
Vietnamese midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai’s goal in the final between Vietnam and Uzbekistan in the AFC U23 Championship 2018 has been selected as one of the event's eight most iconic goals ever by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Vietnamese midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai is one of the top 24 nominees of the Best Footballers of Asia 2019 award held by China's Titan Sports newspaper.
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Quang Duc pottery is known for its wide range of forms, including wine bottles, jars, lime pots, vases, plant pots, incense burners and candle stands. Decorative motifs are equally rich, featuring mythical creatures, pastoral scenes, floral patterns, deer, peacocks, bats and more.
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For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
From left to right: Defender Doan Van Hau, striker Nguyen Cong Phuong, midfielders Nguyen Quang Hai and Do Hung Dung and defender Que Ngoc Hai are nominees for this year's Golden Ball title (File photos) 
