Excitement before the season

(Baonghean) - In just two days, the ball will officially roll on the two artificial turf pitches of the 18th Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children's Football Tournament 2014: the Song Lam artificial turf pitch (youth pitch) and the Provincial Sports Center (children's pitch). At this point, the teams have completed their final preparations and are ready to gather in Vinh City to participate in exciting competitions.

In early June, despite the hot weather, the atmosphere at the Thai Hoa Town Center Stadium was bustling with activity as players from both the youth and children's teams prepared for the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children's Football Tournament from 4 PM onwards. This year, along with Vinh City, Do Luong, and Quynh Luu, Thai Hoa Town is participating in both the youth and children's age groups. Since mid-May, the player lists for both teams have been finalized, with 24 players (14 youth and 10 children) entering the official training phase under the guidance of two experienced coaches, Dao Minh Dinh and Thai Khac Bien, who focus on tactical execution and refining technical skills.

Coach Dao Minh Dinh of the Thai Hoa children's team said: "As someone who has been involved in training young players for many years, being a small part of the youth and children's football tournament over the years is something I am very proud of. Many times when I went to the wards and communes to recruit players for the SLNA Club's talent class in the town, I often heard the children eagerly ask: 'Coach, will there be a Newspaper Cup this year?', and I realized that the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children's Football Tournament is the most anticipated tournament for children. I hope that the tournament will continue to develop so that children have a healthy and beneficial playground during the summer." Coach Thai Khac Bien stated: “Building on the achievements of Thai Hoa Town's teams in recent seasons, we are determined to at least reach the semi-finals. However, in children's football, all values ​​are merely estimates. Therefore, we don't want to put pressure on the children; we just want them to play their best for the overall success of the tournament.”

The Thai Hoa Children's Team is training in preparation for the tournament.

In Anh Son district, Mr. Nguyen Ba Trinh, Director of the District's Culture and Sports Center, said: "Although the budget for cultural and sports activities in the district has been limited in recent years, we always strive to select and form a children's team to participate in the tournament and provide the best care and training for the children. To form the team, from April, the center's sports officials went to primary schools throughout the district to recruit players. Initially, we selected nearly 20 players, then gradually narrowed it down to 10 official players to participate in the tournament. All the players previously played improvisational football without proper training, so it took them a long time to learn the basic techniques. However, they have trained very enthusiastically and improved very quickly. This year, we also set a goal of matching last year's achievement – ​​that is, reaching the quarterfinals." Meanwhile, Vi Van Cuong, a Thai ethnic player from Thanh Son commune, candidly shared: “This is the first time I’ve been selected for the district’s children’s football team, and I’m so happy to be playing football in Vinh with my friends! Especially seeing the bustling city with its bright streetlights at night and so many tall buildings…”

Not only young players but also many adults are excited about the new season. Mr. Lo Trung Thanh – Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism – assessed: “As a cradle of football for the whole country, Nghe An football has developed widely throughout the province. Many teams and groups have been established in the form of clubs, but mainly in the form of grassroots movements, focusing on fun and health. Tournaments are mostly organized for adults and young people. As for young players, there is only one youth football tournament each year, organized by Nghe An Newspaper in coordination with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism during the summer. Having been involved with the tournament for over a decade and witnessed the matches, we can truly understand the yearning and passion of these children. Because their daily playgrounds are mainly schoolyards, rice fields, and riverbanks.”

"At the provincial tournament, the children not only get to play on artificial turf, but also have the opportunity to showcase their skills and tactics with skillful dribbling. While the matches aren't as exciting as those for the youth age groups, the young players have provided viewers with enjoyable and innocent games." Referee Nguyen Hoang Anh – an officer at the Provincial Sports Center – shared: "Blowing the whistle for the children's teams is much harder than for adults, but it's truly enjoyable. Because the children play so freely; sometimes, even after I blow the whistle, they still continue playing normally." Meanwhile, Mr. Le Nam Trung – a resident of Cua Nam ward (Vinh City) – said: "For many years, I've always arranged my work schedule to attend the matches at the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children's Football Tournament, watching the young players compete." "I've noticed that with each passing season, the organization is becoming more professional, the professional quality of the league is improving, and the skill levels of the teams are no longer so disparate. These are very encouraging signs for the development of football in our province."

Over the next week, football fans will once again experience the ups and downs of youth football matches at the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Football Tournament. There will be winners and losers, joy and sadness – that's the natural order of sports. Most importantly, the children of the province will have a healthy and beneficial playground during the summer, to satisfy their passion and showcase their talents with the round ball, thereby promoting football training and physical fitness in localities and schools. That is what the tournament organizers always aim for!

Text and photos:Minh Quan