Bringing together quite many former players of football clubs over the country and the national football team, the football tournament for the players aged above 40 held on the occasion of the Southern Liberation and National Reunification Day (April 30) and Labor Day (May 1) was really an attractive playground for football lovers.
Bringing together quite many former players of football clubs over the country and the national football team, the football tournament for the players aged above 40 held on the occasion of the Southern Liberation and National Reunification Day (April 30) and Labor Day (May 1) was really an attractive playground for football lovers.
As said by Tran Phuc Thao (director of Thanh Thanh Travel), a member of the organizing board of the tournament, the tournament not only aimed to create a playground for the former players of clubs and the national team but also aimed to bring tourists to Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province to help to revive the city’s tourism.
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This was not the first time Thanh Thanh Travel has organized this type of tournament which combined football competitions and travel for participating players. From 2016 to 2018, the travel company often cooperated with the province’s sports sector to organize tournaments for football players in and outside the country. Many well-known players of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, etc. took part in the tournaments of Thanh Thanh Travel. In the last two years, the tournaments weren’t organized due to COVID 19 pandemic.
With their skills and passion for football, the former players brought spectators exciting competitions. Some matches had many goals such as the matches between Khanh Hoa FC and Dien Khanh, and Giau Phong-Saigon and Nhat Minh-Ninh Thuan, which both ended at the score of 4-3. The hosts Khanh Hoa FC met Giau Phong-Saigon, the team from Ho Chi Minh City, in the final match. With six points after two wins, Giau Phong-Saigon only needed a draw to grab the championship. Meanwhile, Khanh Hoa FC, with four points, had to win to overcome the opponents. The match took place with some fierce competitions. The deadlock was broken with the goal of former striker Dang Dao of Khanh Hoa FC. Giau Phong-Saigon had to play with ten men because one of their players was shown a red card. In the stoppage time, former player of Vietnam national football team, Duy Nam, drove the ball from a distance of 30m through the defenders of Giau Phong-Saigon and fired into the net, settling the match 2-0 in Khanh Hoa FC’s favor. With this win, Khanh Hoa FC got seven points, surpassing Giau Phong-Saigon and winning the championship.
Besides enjoying playing football, player Duy Nam also considers such these tournaments an opportunity for the participants to exchange with each other and make business cooperation. He hopes the organization board will maintain the tournament so that former players over 40 across the country can satisfy their passion for football.
An Nhien
Translated by H.N
