Towards the 25th Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament in 2023: Burning with exciting summer days

Children's playground, wings of dreams

The Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament was established in 1996, stemming from the desire to create a useful and interesting playground for children of Party and sports journalists in the province. Initially, the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament was just a youth movement tournament. But very quickly, the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament affirmed its "brand" thanks to its professional, methodical organization, with utmost devotion to the young generation...

And from here, the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament has become the official annual traditional tournament of Nghe An province and is the oldest youth football tournament in Vietnam. Every year, in June, the opening whistle of the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament sounds again. The eyes and hearts of the province's football fans are focused on each ball and match in the Newspaper Cup.

The matches in the Bao Cup are always very exciting and attractive. Photo: Duc Anh

The main characters of the tournament are the young football teams and players from districts, cities and towns in the province. Responding to the spirit of children of the Youth and Children's Football TournamentNghe An Newspaper Cup, all localities pay special attention when arranging adequate human and material resources; organizing talent selection; establishing teams to participate in the tournament. All of these preferential attentions are for the purpose of creating conditions for children and teenagers to play, exchange and study during the summer days.

As for the young players, some come from mountainous villages; some from the backs of buffaloes on the Lam River alluvial plains, wearing their numbered shirts for the first time; some from the stubble-filled field for the first time, shakily putting on their shoes and entering the stadium with thousands of spectators. All are excited and eager to show off their talents, to be honored as “good students, good football players” (a “specialty” title of the Bao Cup); to train themselves in the spirit of “honest, noble, and united sports” and to write the dream of becoming professional players.

The atmosphere in the stands of the tournament was frenzied. Photo: Thanh Duy

Not disappointing expectations, over the past 24 years, the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children's Football Tournament has always met the requirements and goals set. The tournament has created a healthy and useful playground for children, contributing to promoting the socialization of sports in the province, the development of Nghe An and the whole country's football.

From the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children's Football Tournament, many localities across the country have had a similar model of organizing provincial-level youth football tournaments; districts and cities in Nghe An have also organized ward, commune and district-level youth and children's football tournaments to select athletes to participate in the Newspaper Cup... The tournament is becoming more and more impressive and professional with the support of leading football training centers in Vietnam.

More specifically, the matches in the Youth and Children's Football Tournament of Nghe An Newspaper Cup always have scouts from Song Lam Nghe An Football Club and youth football training centers across the country such as Viettel, Hanoi, PVF, Hoang Anh Gia Lai... watching to discover and select talents to bring back for training and coaching.

Over the past 24 years, hundreds of young players through the Bao Cup have been selected, trained and become professional football players, playing for domestic and international teams. Many have become members of the Vietnam national football team.

Do Luong Youth Team happily received the championship cup of the 24th Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Football Tournament. Photo: Duc Anh

The “Football Stars” who grew up from the Bao Cup include: Van Quyen, Cong Vinh, Duong Hong Son, Trong Hoang, Cong Phuong, Nguyen Manh, Que Ngoc Hai, Phan Van Duc, Pham Xuan Manh, Dinh Xuan Tien… At any time, the players who grew up from the Bao Cup also play a key role in the National team. And currently, in the national youth teams, there are also many football players who were trained and discovered from the Nghe An Bao Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament.

Ready for the big day

2023 is the 25th year that the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children's Football Tournament is held (in 2020 and 2021, the tournament was interrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic).Organizing CommitteeThe Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children's Football Tournament determined: This year's tournament is a big festival, needs to be organized solemnly, thoughtfully, has great influence, and leaves special impressions in the hearts of the public and fans of the king sport.

The Organizing Committee of the 25th Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Football Tournament held a meeting to discuss the organization of the tournament. Photo: Hoang Bach

Therefore, from the beginning of April 2023, the Organizing Committee of the 25th Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children's Football Tournament (including Nghe An Newspaper, Department of Culture and Sports, Song Lam Nghe An Football Club) held a meeting to discuss related contents from organization and operation, promulgation of tournament regulations, establishment of sub-committees, preparation of resources and post-tournament conditions... Comrade Ngo Duc Kien - Editor-in-Chief of Nghe An Newspaper, Head of the Organizing Committee requested: All members of the Organizing Committee, sub-committees, and related departments need to promote a high sense of responsibility, promptly deploy tasks, ensure the successful organization of the 25th Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children's Football Tournament to continue to contribute to promoting the development of sports in general, contributing to finding and discovering factors for Nghe An sports in particular.

In the organization, Song Lam Nghe An Football Club continues to create the best conditions for the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies, and the matches for the youth; at the same time, it plays an important role in ensuring the quality of the tournament and managing the matches. This year, the Gymnasium of the Sports Training and Competition Center has been renovated and upgraded to be relatively spacious - this is the condition for the matches for the youth to take place more excitingly and attractively.

Provincial leaders and the Organizing Committee awarded the 24th Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Football Championship to Tan Ky Children's Team. Photo: Duc Anh

In this year's tournament, with the thoughtful and methodical investment of the Organizing Committee, digital technology and social networks will continue to be strongly applied, contributing to spreading the tournament to all parts of the country and Nghe An football fans abroad. The matches are reported live on Nghe An Electronic Newspaper (www.baonghean.vn) and many social networking platforms of Nghe An Newspaper will contribute to making the tournament more professional and attractive.

The Organizing Committee of the 25th Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament hopes to receive the support of many parents, schools, Party committees, authorities, sectors, businesses and a large number of fans. This will create conditions for the teams as well as the Organizing Committee to build an increasingly large and professional Tournament.

The matches are reported live on Nghe An Electronic Newspaper (www.baonghean.vn) and many social media platforms of Nghe An Newspaper. Photo: Document

Information from the Organizing Committee: The tournament regulations have been issued and sent to districts, cities and towns in the province. Each district, city and town sends 01 youth football team and 01 children's football team to Vinh City to compete... At this time, there are 20 children's football teams/21 districts, cities and towns and 11 youth football teams/21 districts, cities and towns registered to participate in the 25th Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children's Football Tournament. The number of participating teams may increase after districts, cities and towns organize district-level tournaments to select talents and consolidate forces.

Through understanding, to prepare for the 25th Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children's Football Tournament, many localities in the province have selected teams, trained and reviewed for the past year, such as: Do Luong, Yen Thanh, Quynh Luu, Hoang Mai, Nghi Loc, Tan Ky, Quy Chau, Thanh Chuong... Many other localities in the province have now organized youth football, going to schools to search for "talents", nurturing factors, selecting teams to participate in the tournament such as Ky Son, Con Cuong, Tuong Duong.

Nghi Loc Children's Football Team actively practices before the new season. Photo: Thanh Chung

The teams are determined to achieve the highest possible results in the Newspaper Cup. Mr. Nguyen Van Ky - Director of the Center for Culture, Sports and Communications of Quynh Luu district shared: “With the spirit of for children, this year, Quynh Luu continues to participate in the Tournament in both age groups. The two teams have made careful preparations with the determination of “if not Second, then Third”. Similarly, Mr. Dang Duy Hung - Director of the Center for Culture, Communications and Sports of Yen Thanh district revealed: “The two teams of the district were established on the basis of 2 football training and development classes. With the special attention of the district leaders and the absolute support of parents, the two teams are determined to achieve the highest results”.

Assessing the balance of power before the season, the traditional teams will continue to be candidates for the championship. However, this year, the strength of the defending champions such as Do Luong (youth), Tan Ky (children) has slightly decreased due to small changes on the coaching bench... This is the opportunity for the "Dark Horses" to create a surprise. A vibrant, burning summer with love for the round ball has begun.../.