Vietnamese Football Receives Four Commendations from the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism

The Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism issued Decision No. 354/QĐ-BVHTTDL to award Certificates of Merit to 4 collectives and 23 individuals selected as the Nation's Exemplary Sports Teams, Coaches, and Athletes of 2025. Football was honored to receive four of the Minister's commendations, awarded to: the Vietnam U22 National Team, Coach Kim Sang Sik, Coach Mai Duc Chung, and player Nguyen Dinh Bac.

According to results announced by the Vietnam Sports Administration on December 31, 2025, in the Exemplary Sports Team category, the Vietnam Men's U22 Football Team was selected in first place with 1,660 points.

This achievement follows an exceptionally successful year in 2025 for the Vietnam U22 team, which saw them crowned champions of the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship, achieve a perfect record in the 2026 U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, and win the Gold Medal in men's football at the 33rd SEA Games.

This series of impressive results not only affirms the team's competitive strength and character but also clearly reflects the effectiveness of training, coaching, and investment in Vietnamese youth football over recent years.

In the Exemplary Coach category, football continued to dominate with two representatives. Leading the selection list was Coach Kim Sang-sik with 532 points, marking a significant impact during a successful year with various Vietnamese national teams.

Additionally, Head Coach of the Vietnam Women's National Football Team, Mai Duc Chung, was also honored among the top five exemplary national coaches, further affirming his role, reputation, and sustained contributions to the development and consistent success of Vietnamese women's football on regional and continental stages.

In the Exemplary Athlete category, forward Nguyen Dinh Bac ranked third overall with 693 points.

The year 2025 marked a strong advancement in the young player's career as he helped the Vietnam U23 team win the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship, secured the Gold Medal at the 33rd SEA Games, and contributed to Cong An Ha Noi FC's victories in the National Cup and National Super Cup. These outstanding achievements earned Dinh Bac the titles of "Vietnam's Silver Ball 2025" and "Best Young Male Player of 2025".