Vietnamese football a silver lining in Southeast Asia
The development of Vietnamese football and the V.League’s appeal and competitiveness as a top professional football league have drawn many international players and experts to the country.
The men’s national team of Vietnam is currently ranked 93rd in the world, and first in Southeast Asia for the third year in a row (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - The development ofVietnamese football and the V.League’s appeal and competitiveness as a topprofessional football league have drawn many international players and expertsto the country.
That the season wrapped up successfully hashelped elevate the brand of Vietnam’s professional football league. A host offamous coaches and players are set to join the 2021 V.League, which isscheduled to kick off in January.
Of particular note, Ljupko Petrovic, who as a manager wonthe UEFA Champions League, will be the most high-profile coach to have set foot on Vietnam in his capacity as Thanh Hoa FC’s coach.
In addition, Thai manager and former player KiatisakSenamuang and Alexandre Polking will set ambitious goals with the Hoang Anh Gia LaiFC and the Ho Chi Minh City FC, respectively.
Polking, who spent seven years in the Thai League,said that if the V.League contenders improve their infrastructure andinvestment, more international football stars would come to play in thecountry. He also spoke highly of Vietnamese footballers’ skills.
In terms of players, next year’s season will see MatsuiDaisuke playing for Sai Gon FC. He is a former midfielder with the Japanese nationalteam, which triumphed at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, and he competed in the 2010FIFA World Cup.
Lee Nguyen, once named as a finalist for the 2014version of the Major League Soccer MVP Award, is due to join the Ho Chi Minh CityFC.
The success of the V.League is attributed to thecountry’s effectiveness in COVID-19 prevention, in the context that many other countries in theregion are struggling to organise matches.
The men’s national team is currently ranked 93rd inthe world, and first in Southeast Asia for the third year in a row. The women’s teamis ranked fifth in Asia, with a chance to compete at the 2023 FIFA Women’sWorld Cup./.
After being named the best player of the 2020 V.League 1 season, forward Nguyen Van Quyet is favourite to take the Vietnamese Golden Ball award for the first time in his career.
The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2020 will be postponed one more time from April 2021 to December 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leaders of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the sub-committees met in Hanoi on December 22 to review preparations for the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) and the 11th Southeast Asian Para Games (ASEAN Para Games 11).
The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
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.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The men’s national team of Vietnam is currently ranked 93rd in the world, and first in Southeast Asia for the third year in a row (Photo: VNA) 
