Dinh Bac and the Vietnam U22 team were honored as outstanding individuals in 2025.
With a string of international titles, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac and the U22 Vietnam team have earned the full trust in the 2025 National Outstanding Athlete and Coach Awards.
The organizing committee for the 2025 National Outstanding Athlete and Coach Awards has just announced the official results. This is well-deserved recognition for the individuals and teams who have brought glory to Vietnamese sports in a breakout year at regional and international competitions.
The dominance of female athletes in the sports world.
Overcoming many strong competitors, shooter Trinh Thu Vinh has been named the most outstanding athlete of 2025 with 1,272 points. The shooter from Thanh Hoa had a hugely successful SEA Games 33, winning 4 gold medals and setting 3 new records. Her consistent performance and unwavering composure earned her the absolute trust of the judging panel.
Second on the list is track and field "golden girl" Nguyen Thi Oanh with 761 points. At the 33rd SEA Games, she continued to assert her dominance with 3 gold medals, and simultaneously broke records to become the most successful track and field athlete in the history of the Games for Vietnam.
Nguyen Dinh Bac's rapid progress
At the age of 21, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac finished in 3rd place with 693 points. 2025 marked a major turning point in the career of the player born in 2004 as he shone brightly playing for CAHN Club and the national teams at various levels. Dinh Bac was not only the Best Player of the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship but also scored 3 goals and provided 2 assists at the 33rd SEA Games, making a significant contribution to helping Vietnam defend its Gold Medal.
With these contributions, the young striker also won the Vietnam Silver Ball 2025 award and the Best Young Male Player of the Year award.
Coach Kim Sang Sik and his significant impact on men's football.
In the Best Coach category, Coach Kim Sang Sik was unrivaled with 532 points. The South Korean strategist led Vietnamese football to regional glory with the 2024 AFF Cup championship, the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship, and the SEA Games 33 gold medal. Following closely behind him was Coach Tran Quoc Cuong, who led the shooting team to gold medals at both the Asian and Southeast Asian Cups in 2025.
In the Outstanding Sports Team category, the Vietnam U22 team topped the list with 1,660 points thanks to their achievement of winning two important regional championships. The following positions were held by the women's 4x400m relay athletics team, the women's sepak takraw team, and the women's beach handball team, respectively.
The official ceremony honoring outstanding athletes and coaches nationwide in 2025 is expected to be held on March 27, 2026, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the traditional day of the Vietnamese Sports and Physical Education sector.
Besides personal joy, Dinh Bac and his teammates at CAHN also received favorable news when their opponent in the Round of 16 of the AFC Cup (Eastern Zone) was determined, opening up an opportunity to advance further in the continental tournament.
