Nghe An Newspaper Cup opens new horizons for children's dreams to fly far

Great success on many fronts

After a week of exciting competition, the 26th Youth - Children's Football Tournament of Nghe An Newspaper Cup 2024 co-organized by Nghe An Newspaper, Department of Culture and Sports, Department of Education and Training, Song Lam Nghe An Football Joint Stock Company has closed...

This year's tournament had the participation of 32 teams (14 youth teams, 18 children's teams) from 21 districts, cities, and towns; with the participation of 412 athletes. Within the framework of the tournament, 64 matches took place, including 39 matches for children and 25 matches for teenagers.

It can be said that the 26th Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament in 2024 was a great success in many aspects. In terms of organization, the tournament took place on a large scale and was impressive. The competition ground was up to standard. Personnel work was well ensured. The participating players were all the right people, the right age, and had ideal physical condition.

Under the direction of a team of experienced, national, FIFA-level referees, all matches were conducted fairly and objectively… During the tournament, the organizing committee did not receive any complaints related to personnel and competition.

The communication work about the tournament was carried out in a methodical and professional manner. The matches were broadcast live on the digital platforms of Nghe An Newspaper and the strong brand TV channel of FPT Telecommunication Joint Stock Company (FPT Play). The production and distribution of content has been raised to a new level, in a professional and modern direction.

Hundreds of clips highlighting beautiful goals and news, articles, photo collections about matches, beautiful goals, and interesting stories on the sidelines of the field were posted... attracting millions of views, accesses and visits on publications and digital platforms of Nghe An Newspaper and FPT Play TV channel. In addition, many central and local press agencies attended, cheered, reported and updated about the tournament.

Coming to the tournament, the teams have made careful and thorough preparations. The players entered the tournament with a spirit of victory. The young players all have good technique, ball handling ability, and tactical thinking; they strive to play their best to give the audience exciting and enthusiastic moments. The matches were dramatic with many beautiful goals. According to statistics, there were 272 goals scored during the season, an average of 4.3 goals/match.

This season, Nghe An football fans are really excited with the performances of the highland football teams Tuong Duong, Que Phong, Quy Chau... While the two youth teams Que Phong and Quy Chau have overcome many strong opponents to reach the quarter-finals, the Tuong Duong children's team has done even more when winning the first Bronze Medal in 26 years of participating in the tournament. The Tuong Duong children's team has really left a good impression in the hearts of football fans in the province.

Besides the newly emerging teams, creating interesting surprises, the traditional teams from Quynh Luu, Yen Thanh, Do Luong, Tan Ky, Hoang Mai town, Dien Chau, Vinh city, Quy Hop still showed their strength. The matches in the tournament have shown that the professional quality of the teams is increasingly high, even, no longer showing much difference in level.

Evaluating the quality of players participating in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Football Tournament this year, Mr. Tran Quang Dung - Director of Song Lam Nghe An Youth Football Training Center said: "This year's tournament has very high professional quality. Through monitoring, we discovered many talented players. This will be a source of quality athletes for Song Lam Nghe An to add to the U10 and U12 classes to participate in the National Youth - Children Football Tournament held in 2025".

This year's season has shown that the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Football Tournament is no longer a mere sports tournament but a playground, a ladder opening up a new horizon, wider, higher for children's dreams to fly far. Through watching the matches in this year's season, the coaches of Song Lam Nghe An Football Club have selected 73 players (42 children and 31 teenagers) to invite these players to Song Lam Nghe An Youth Football Training Center for training and audition. It is expected that the center will select and sign contracts with about 20 athletes for the U10 class and nearly 20 athletes for the U12 class.

Many beautiful impressions, memorable

The 2024 season ended with many beautiful and memorable impressions. It is worth mentioning the attention and participation of local authorities at all levels. Before the tournament, many localities organized tournaments from commune to district level to select personnel to participate in the tournament, creating motivation for the development of mass sports movements.

During the tournament, the Nghe An Newspaper Cup always received the presence of leaders from the provincial to district, city and town levels as well as sponsors to watch and cheer, with timely rewards when the children achieved high results as well as encouragement when they did not win; typically the leaders of Nam Dan, Tuong Duong, Quy Hop districts... There were local leaders who could not return to Vinh city to watch the tournament matches, but watched the matches through Nghe An Newspaper's digital platforms and shared the matches on their personal pages, so that many local football fans could watch the tournament.

Mr. Ha Huy Nham - Director of the Center for Culture, Sports and Communication of Quy Hop district commented: “The Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament is a useful playground for teenagers and children. The tournament is truly a "Practical action, prioritizing resources for children"; promoting the movement "All people care for, educate and protect children" in general and the movement of training to improve health, strengthen physical strength, and develop football qualities in particular. The tournament received great attention from all levels, sectors and people. The Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament 2024 is really high quality".

During the tournament, enthusiastic supporters and spectators of youth football always followed the matches closely. The sound of drums and trumpets created a vibrant festival atmosphere. Supporters of teams such as Dien Chau and Vinh city with bright red flags, banners and slogans created beautiful images in the stands...

There were many fans who did not mind the long distance, from Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Con Cuong, Quy Chau, Que Phong, Hoang Mai town, Tan Ky to come to the tournament... They temporarily put aside all work to follow and support the teams for the whole week. Even the family of player Dau Hoang Bach Nhan (Quy Chau Youth team) has 6 people, all 6 went to Vinh to watch football.

There are also many touching stories about the parents of young players, such as the grandmother of player Lo Cuong Trang (Que Phong Youth Team) who sold 300 kg of rice to follow the team to Vinh to cheer for her grandchild; the grandmother of goalkeeper Pham Hoang Gia Bao (Vinh City Youth Team) who is 84 years old this year still takes a motorbike taxi to watch all the matches her grandchild plays, rain or shine.

Every competition has winners and losers. However, in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Football Tournament, there were no losers. Because in all the matches, the young players tried their best, fully expressing their aspirations, will to rise up and strive to surpass themselves.

The fans were very moved to know that Lo Quoc Duc - the youngest player of the Tuong Duong Children's team - had been injured many times due to collisions with opponents, but his fighting spirit was very strong. After knowing that he had sprained his ankle, despite the pain, Quoc Duc continued to participate in the competition with the highest effort...

Each competition is a chance for players to practice and learn their own lessons. Experience in the tournament will help players grow both physically and mentally.

The Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament has not only created dramatic and exciting football parties; but also opened a playground, a school. Here, young players can exchange and learn in the spirit of honest, noble, and united sportsmanship, and in sports there are always winners and losers, but sometimes winning and losing are not everything...

In this year's tournament, the organizing committee awarded titles and gifts to 161 players who were good at studying and playing football. This is also a very impressive number: the highest number of players who were good at studying and playing football ever. Along with that, the Nghe An Province "For the Poor" Fund awarded tuition fees to 21 poor students who overcame difficulties with a total value of 42 million VND.

Player Phan Van Bao Quoc (Hoang Mai Town Youth Team) shared: “I am very happy and proud to represent the town’s youth to participate in the tournament and receive gifts. I learned many new and strange things. In the future, I will be determined to study well, play football well to receive gifts, participate in similar football tournaments, and travel to many places.”

The 26th Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament in 2024 has ended, but certainly, the beautiful and valuable images of the tournament will spread forever.

The tournament is just a small part of the long journey of the young players. Comrade Ngo Duc Kien - Editor-in-Chief of Nghe An Newspaper, Head of the Organizing Committee of the tournament expressed his hope that the children will continue to carry the spirit of "study well, play football well" of the tournament in the upcoming development journey; hoping to continue to receive the attention, support and cooperation of units and individuals so that the tournament can be organized better and better, contributing to creating a healthy and useful playground for the children during the summer days, thereby further promoting the physical and mental development of children.