State President requests professional football development plan
State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomed coach Park Hang-seo and coach Mai Duc Chung on May 28 after their recent successes with both the national men’s and women’s football teams in winning two gold medals at the recent 31st Southeast Asian Games.
Coach Park’s Vietnam U23 side overwhelmed their archrivals Thailand 1-0 in the final match on May 22, defending their championship title that they previously secured three years ago at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Chung’s female footballers also stunned their Thai opponents 1-0 in the final match on May 21, with the women’s team also defending their championship title they won in the Philippines.
During the meeting, President Phuc congratulated athletes and coaches, including Park and Chung, on their successes in bringing glory for the country at the regional largest sporting event.
The President affirmed that Vietnam successfully organised the 31st SEA Games, demonstrating its hospitality and friendliness, whilst leaving a good impression on the participating countries.
“Your resounding victories have created a great source of encouragement and inspiration to the Vietnamese people and leaders,” he said.
President Phuc particularly commended coach Park for his significant contributions to strengthening the friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK).
He recalled his earlier talks with RoK President Yoon Seok-yeol and his predecessor Moon Jae-in, who both highly appreciated coach Park’s contributions to the bilateral relationship.
Both coaches Park and Chung thanked the President for his acknowledgement and suggested that the Government invest more in football, especially in the training of young players as a means of improving their professional skills.
Chung even suggested that the Government pay closer attention to developing women’s football, as well as generating jobs for female players after their retirement.
President Phuc acknowledged the two coaches’ proposals and said he would ask the Government, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Vietnam Football Federation to give their own proposals.
It can be seen as necessary to have a policy which discovers and trains new and young talents for future teams, he said.
