Famous VTV editor once 'caused a storm' online with rare revelations about his wife

Loved football since age 12, applied for fun but unexpectedly fell in love

- What chance brought you, from being the Valedictorian of the University of Natural Sciences and the Valedictorian of the national university in 2006, to decide to stick with the microphone profession?

That was my chance encounter with journalist Phan Ngoc Tien, Head of VTV Sports Department and also my boss for nearly 20 years. In 2006, I was doing my graduation thesis and also preparing myself to start the path to becoming a scientist as my father - Professor, Doctor of Science, People's Teacher Nguyen Huu Viet Hung had planned, when at the same time I watched the news360 degree sportsSee announcement about the 2006 World Cup fan and commentary program.

With the love of football inherited from my father, I decided to register for fun, but unexpectedly I caught the attention of the Organizing Committee and became a fan who was able to comment on some matches at the 2006 World Cup. I also could not have imagined that this was the "fateful turn" that led me from the path of scientific research to become a commentator and editor for Vietnam Television.

- What is the connection between your love of Mathematics and your love of football? Do you use Mathematics in your football commentary?

I think the most related thing between Mathematics and football is statistical probability and partly spatial geometry. The ability of each team to advance, be eliminated, enter the quarter-finals, semi-finals, finals or win the championship are all probabilities. And spatial geometry helps us clearly visualize the perpendicular projection of the ball onto the field when the ball is in the air, even though it does not touch the ground, we need to determine whether the ball has crossed the goal line or the goal line.

- Will your daily routine be disrupted during EURO 2024?

Having been trained in the professional environment of the Sports Department, I quickly adapted to the "night and day" time zone. During the day, I still go to the office to have meetings and deploy programs and newsletters to accompanyEURO 2024The Sports Department has done many big events so it got into gear very quickly.

Inspired by Math and Football from his Math Professor Dad

- Math students think logically but are often said to be rigid. So how do people comment on your personality?

It is true that I am both “dry” and “hard”, especially when I first graduated. But when I need to be “soft”, I can still be “soft”.(laugh).Over time, I also understand more about life and relationships at work, family, and friends, so my behavior is more flexible.

- He once caused a "storm on the internet" when he shared his university transcript with a score of 10.almost absolute. He also said that the self-awareness and time investment foryour studies. So for you, is math a passion or was it inspired by your father?he - famous mathematician

Actually, I did not mean to cause a “storm” but just wanted to share an unforgettable memory from nearly 20 years ago. Through that, I want to confide that although I did not become a scientist as my father wished, I still love Mathematics. That love and passion were inspired by my father and although we did not become colleagues, whenever we had the chance, we would sit down and talk about our profession, about the applications of Mathematics in life, and the way teachers and students teach and learn Mathematics today.

- Looking back in time, was there ever a time when your father complained to you for not being focused or not doing as well as he expected, especially in Math?

People who study and research Mathematics have a characteristic that is different from people in other professions in that they always want everything to be perfect. Because of that, my academic performance has never been able to satisfy my father 100%.

I did complain. For example, after I won the National Math Prize at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School and was selected for the international team, I was admitted straight to university and exempted from the graduation exam according to the regulations at that time. I asked my father to take a break as a reward for myself, but he did not agree because the friends around me still had to study for exams, and if I invited them or went to their houses to play, it would affect everyone's study.

So he gave me the book.Linear Algebra -The famous book for students of Mathematics and Engineering, written by him, for me to read and study. Of course, my father's strictness at that time made me feel constrained, but later I realized that it was the necessary strictness of a father to help his son grow up.

- What is your most impressive achievement in 12 years of high school and 4 years of university?

In high school, studying Mathematics at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School, I won the third prize in the National Excellent Student Competition in 2002. That year, there was no first prize because the questions were too difficult. In university, I graduated from K6 of the Bachelor of Science for Talents - University of Natural Sciences (Hanoi National University) with an average score of 9.45, becoming the valedictorian of the valedictorians of universities in Hanoi in 2006.

- You once shared about how you honed your skills, spending 10-12 hours a day on Math, even 14-16 hours when there were exams, and almost no days off. So what is your current schedule like for your children? Are you or your wife the one who closely monitors their studies?

My twin children are in 4th grade this year, both my wife and I are very close to their studies, directly teaching Math, which is more advanced than the regular textbooks. We do not want to put too much pressure on them but also want to set specific goals for them to strive for.

- I understand that you have started teaching Math for more than half a year now. Can you share about your work?my teaching?

My love for Mathematics has never cooled down in the past 20 years. Because I have been trained very systematically and deeply in Mathematics, I really regret not being able to pass on that useful knowledge to students because Mathematics is always a very important subject. That is the reason why I decided to return to my "old love": opening Math classes both online and offline for high school students for the past six months.

When I announced my intention to teach, there were many applications and many families wanted to send their children to study there. However, due to limited time, I had to consider my options and finally decided to teach grades 6, 7 and 8.

The reason is that the knowledge of secondary school starts to become complicated, making it difficult for parents to teach their children directly, and at that time there is enough time to reinforce the students who have gaps in basic knowledge. I have been a Math teacher for more than half a year with 4 classes: 1 offline, 3 online. With online classes, students in the Central and Southern regions are also available. Each online class I only accept from 10 to 15 students, at most nearly 20 students to ensure close monitoring of each student.

Wife is a solid "defense"

- Your wife is in the same profession, so what impresses you the most about her? How do you arrange your time for work and family to be able to balance?

What impressed me most was her intelligence, liveliness, and agility. When it comes to time management, everyone only has 24 hours a day, whether they work or play is up to them. Our time is completely devoted to work and family. Since we started teaching, the whole family has gone out less, but that is how we learn to appreciate the value of time.

- Do you hope your children will follow in your grandfather's footsteps or your parents' television career?

We let the children develop naturally. Parents will only suggest and give advice, not impose, the decision is up to the children.