Bac Dinh and the secret behind the 'terrifying' statistic

The figures gathered from Bac Dinh’s latest practices continue to surprise professionals.

The young player's top speed has been recorded between 33 and 35 km/h, approaching the level of the fastest players in the English Premier League. For Vietnamese football, this is clearly an exceptional case.

According to data recorded during the fitness tests of the Vietnam U20 team in mid-2022, when Bac Dinh was not yet 18, he completed the first 10 meters sprint in just 1.51 seconds. Notably, this was during the initial acceleration phase, before reaching maximum velocity. Over the first 30 meters, considered the standard distance for speed tests on the field, Bac Dinh clocked 3.78 seconds, corresponding to a speed of about 28.6 km/h before accelerating further to his peak of 33 to 35 km/h.

For comparison, the fastest players in the English Premier League typically reach top speeds around 36 to 37 km/h, with their initial 10 meters sprint under 1.5 seconds. Therefore, the gap between Bac Dinh and European standards is not very wide. Sports science expert Le Cao Cuong admitted he was quite surprised when analyzing this data, as in his assessment, Bac Dinh’s speed is close to that of top European athletes— a rarity among Vietnamese players.

The aspect that draws even more attention from sports scientists is Bac Dinh’s physical development process. This player experienced late puberty, standing only about 1.5 meters tall at age 14. According to Vietnam team doctor Tran Huy Tho, late puberty is not uncommon in male athletes, especially in football. The key is to correctly evaluate the athlete’s biological development stage, avoiding imposing training intensity or making mechanical comparisons with peers.

From a nutrition and physical perspective, Master Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tam suggests that more in-depth tests are needed for an accurate conclusion. However, she hypothesizes that Bac Dinh’s puberty phase might have lasted longer than usual. During this period, bones do not lengthen rapidly but focus on increasing density, strengthening the skeletal system. When entering the rapid growth phase in height, this foundation provides a significant advantage for high-intensity training and development of strength and speed.

Research from NCBI at the U.S. National Institutes of Health also indicates that the timing of puberty significantly affects the combination of physical attributes in adolescents. Athletes who enter post-puberty stages tend to have greater muscle mass and better motor control and sprint speed due to surges in growth and sex hormones. Conversely, early maturing athletes may excel short-term but tend to reach their development ceiling sooner.

In Bac Dinh’s case, the biological advantage only offers an opportunity. The decisive factor remains his serious and persistent training throughout his teenage years. It is the combination of a unique physical foundation and personal effort that has enabled Bac Dinh to possess a speed considered “European standard,” raising many hopes for the future of Vietnamese football.