Commentator Ngo Quang Tung and his unfulfilled dreams in football.

Commentator Ngo Quang Tung is a well-known Vietnamese football commentator. He hails from Hung Nguyen district and is the son of former football legend Ngo Xuan Quynh, a pioneer of the The Cong Club.

From the age of three, commentator Quang Tùng breathed the same air as the country's football idols, as his father was a legend and the team manager.

It wasn't until he was around 10 or 11 years old that his passion for football truly blossomed. However, his dream of becoming a professional player couldn't come true. That dream continued to be nurtured and cherished until he entered high school...

PV:Hello commentator Quang Tung, it's a pleasure to meet you today. First of all, could you share a little about how you came to be a football commentator? Was it a childhood dream, or was it your dream to follow in your father's footsteps and become a professional football commentator?

Commentator Quang Tùng:I was born into a family with a football tradition, but unfortunately, I didn't have the conditions to become a player. This included physical attributes, talent, and ultimately, the opportunity to showcase myself in professional football. This assessment came from my father, a highly professional man who had been involved with this sport in Vietnam for a very long time.

About 30 years ago, I felt quite awkward and resentful about it. However, now I understand that it was also a life choice. And what I have achieved in my career so far, I can say I am satisfied. I love sports, I love football, and I still follow it even though I'm not one of the players directly involved in football like the main characters.

As time went on, I realized that it was a "wise" approach from my father. It's the same with any game, but football requires unique elements to create your own personal mark on a team playing field.

Commentator Quang Tùng once had an unfulfilled dream related to football. Photo: Trung Kiên

PV:When you first started your career as a football commentator, what were the advantages and difficulties you faced? Those must have been some of the most memorable experiences in your life.

Commentator Quang Tùng:My path to becoming a football commentator can be said to have been very fortunate. I studied at a sports university. After graduating, I worked in grassroots sports before joining Vietnam Television. When the new VTV3 channel launched in 1996, it opened up many opportunities for young people like my generation. I was very lucky to be one of them.

That was a period of media boom when Vietnamese football flourished both in real life and on television, not only domestic football but also international football, such as English football, the UEFA Champions League, and other national leagues, came to Vietnam in large numbers.

This has created opportunities for our younger generation to develop our careers. Ten years working at VTV has given us a wealth of experience, knowledge, and maturity. What we gained at VTV has stayed with me to this day – life experience and professional experience.

Commentator Quang Tùng is known for his expressive voice and profound knowledge. Photo: FBNV

PV:We all know that football commentating is a very special profession, but as someone who's been through it firsthand, what are your feelings and concerns about this job?

Commentator Quang Tùng:Regarding the profession of football commentator, I think it has its own unique characteristics. Someone once asked me what my view was on the profession of commentator. I replied that commentators are the first to express their own opinions. For commentators, they cannot read what others say, especially during live matches where they have to voice their thoughts, express their own thinking and opinions.

After 20 years of working together, with many senior colleagues and mentors, none of us have received any recognition from any organization or award, such as an award for outstanding commentator. I'm not complaining, but it's clear that television festivals haven't yet awarded prizes to those who create programs related to sports.

That's just a joke! Personally, I, like my colleagues who have worked in this field, feel happy and fortunate to be doing a job that is both a passion and allows us to connect with people. My principle when working is that when I'm talking to the screen, I'm actually talking to millions of people.

I've always maintained that each commentary session is about sharing my knowledge, opinions, and insights to help viewers enjoy the game more. My knowledge may be limited, but it helps people share and enjoy the matches in a more interesting way.

Commentators Quang Huy and Quang Tùng are one of the most popular commentary duos in the industry. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

PV:It seems that as football develops, the demands of viewers and fans on commentators are also becoming more stringent. As a veteran commentator, how do you adapt to these new trends? Do you personally face many difficulties, given that we are living in an era of technological and information explosion?

Commentator Quang Tùng:As always, everything in our lives is constantly evolving. Football is no exception; it changes, develops, and moves forward, and we have to reinvent ourselves to adapt to it.

Over the past few years, there has been a growing interest in statistics, which help people make more accurate assessments. For coaches, statistics help them make accurate judgments and decisions about players and playing styles to create the most modern style of football possible.

The work of journalists and television broadcasters has also changed. But I think that amidst all these changes, we still need to grasp and understand the core essence of this sport. Football isn't actually a very complicated sport, but it's the simplicity that makes it so special.

Commentator Quang Tùng is a seasoned veteran of Vietnamese football. Photo: FBNV

PV:Football is indeed all about numbers, but in Vietnam it's different from abroad. They have many companies specializing in statistics with high accuracy. In Vietnam, this is very new. Does that make it difficult for you and other commentators to work?

Commentator Quang Tùng:For us, that has always been a challenge. Over the years, we've had many ways to approach and handle matches. Remember that Vietnamese football will still face many difficulties, not because we lack information, but because of the quality of the game. This is especially true for lower-division matches and youth leagues, which sometimes lack both the professional quality and the media coverage.

However, I think things will get better, and challenges like these are always very meaningful for those in the profession. Overcoming these things will help sports reporters, editors, and commentators develop the resilience and experience to "survive" what could be described as boring matches, such as those played in the middle of a summer afternoon, with empty stands and players on the field performing haphazardly. However, such matches will help football commentators mature.

Commentator Quang Tùng chatting with a reporter from Nghe An Newspaper. Photo: Trung Kien

PV:It is known that his hometown is in Hung Nguyen district, Nghe An province. However, he has a very common accent, and it was quite surprising to realize that he has Nghe An blood in him. For him, perhaps his hometown is something very special...

Commentator Quang Tùng:Actually, I speak Northern Vietnamese fluently because I was born in Hanoi. My blood is from Nghe An, but my parents moved to Hanoi for work in the 1950s, so it's normal that I don't have any Nghe An accent at all.

However, somewhere deep within me, there are things that are very much from Nghe An, feelings of hometown, or the things my parents lived through and taught me. I've always kept that feeling inside, a feeling that's hard to put into words. Especially when I see Nghe An players, from SLNA to the national team, achieving something, I always feel a sense of pride.

Interviewer: Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and we wish you good health!

SLNA's problems in V.League 2019 from the perspective of commentator Quang Tùng.

(Baonghean.vn) - Song Lam Nghe An recently lost 1-2 to Ho Chi Minh City FC in Round 11 of the V.League 2019. However, according to commentator Quang Tung, SLNA's performance accurately reflects the team's true strength.