PV: Every summer, children across the province eagerly await the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament. Could you tell us about the significance of this tournament for teenagers and children?
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia:Nghe An is the only province that has a large-scale football tournament for children. The tournament is called the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament, organized by Nghe An Newspaper in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Sports, the Department of Education - Training and the Song Lam Nghe An Club. Every year, the tournament has gathered the best children from 21 districts, cities and towns in the province to compete. I think this is a very useful playground for children every summer. Children who participate in this tournament will have the opportunity to exchange and compete with their peers. Thereby, they will develop both mentally and physically. In addition, the tournament will also be a festival for children in the province, they will be able to watch, enjoy and participate in exciting and thrilling matches. This is truly a useful tournament with a tradition that needs to be maintained and further developed in the future.
PV: This is the 25th season co-organized by Nghe An Newspaper. Looking back on the past journey, can you tell us about the impressions the tournament has brought?
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia:I find the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament to be a very professionally organized tournament, not inferior to national tournaments. This tournament is welcomed by many children across the province and considered an indispensable spiritual food every summer. Although Nghe An province is not a rich province, with the good coordination and support of the Organizing Committee of the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament, the localities have overcome all difficulties to make efforts to participate in the tournament. Every year, the units consider this as an important activity of the district. Over the years, I have noticed that the number of participating teams is increasing, and the professional quality has also been significantly improved.
Before the tournament, the teams had prepared and practiced very professionally and seriously. And every team showed their desire to win medals. This brought a tournament with a very high level of dedication, many neutral spectators in the stands could not help but be attracted. I think that is a very happy thing that the tournament has brought.
The social impact of the tournament is also very good. Many matches in the tournament have witnessed a large number of fans of many ages coming to watch. The audience with enthusiastic cheering, with many unique identities, has created a vibrant atmosphere no different from a national level match. On the field, the players also had very high-class performances. I think this is a very impressive tournament and needs to be maintained annually.
PV: What is the significance of the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament to the development of the province's sports in general and Song Lam Nghe An Football in particular?
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia:Through 24 editions of the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament, there have been many important contributions to the development of the province's football movement. The tournament is an opportunity for talented children to show themselves. The grassroots football classes of Song Lam Nghe An cannot cover all localities. Therefore, through the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament, favorable conditions have been created for the scouts of Song Lam Nghe An to not miss out on players with innate qualities and talents. It can be affirmed that the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament has helped Song Lam Nghe An have a rich and quality source of athletes.
PV: Many players have become famous from this tournament. Can you tell us what favorable conditions young players will have when participating in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament to pursue their passion for playing professional football?
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia:Players who become famous from the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Football Tournament will have a great opportunity to catch the eye of scouts from the Song Lam Nghe An Youth Football Training Center. From here, the path to professional football will be wide open for those who have a burning passion for the round ball. We all know that players like Que Ngoc Hai, Van Duc, Xuan Manh, Dinh Xuan Tien... all grew up from the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Football Tournament. Through the performances of those stars, they have had the opportunity to develop into professional players of Song Lam Nghe An. Therefore, if players perform well in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Football Tournament, they will have a great opportunity to realize their dream of playing professional football.
PV: Returning to the 25th tournament, do you think the scale and quality of this year's tournament are appropriate, meeting the expectations of many teenagers and children in the province?
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia:Through monitoring the preparation stages as well as the scenario of organizing the 25th Youth - Children Football Tournament Nghe An Newspaper Cup, I see that this year's tournament is prepared very carefully. Over the past few months, the Organizing Committee has met many times and reached many agreements to increase the attractiveness of this year's tournament. Accordingly, the opening and closing ceremonies will be held at Vinh Stadium, creating a grandeur and scale for the tournament.
In addition, the press conference and the draw will also be impressively organized, with the participation of top stars of Vietnamese football such as Cong Vinh, Xuan Manh, Xuan Tien... I think that the careful and professional preparation of the tournament organizing committee will bring a brilliant successful season, as expected by the teenagers and children of Nghe An province.
PV: Can you tell us what is different about this year's tournament compared to previous years?
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia:I think this year's season has some very positive innovations. First of all, it can be said that there is transparency between the teams participating in the tournament. As we all know, the teams participating in this year's tournament are all checked through personal identification codes. This will help the Organizing Committee easily determine the exact age of the players. Thereby, there will be no more fraud in the year of birth of athletes in each team, reducing lawsuits from the teams participating in the tournament.
The second new point is that each team will be allowed to use 2 more players of the same age who are training at professional football training centers. With this change, the professional quality of the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament will be improved, bringing attractiveness and dedication to the audience.
In addition, the Organizing Committee also focuses on promoting communication work. This will bring the matches closer to the audience. In particular, most of the matches at the 2023 Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children Football Tournament will be broadcast live on Nghe An Newspaper's digital platforms, thereby helping fans in remote districts who cannot go to the stadium to still watch the matches with their home team.
PV:What suggestions and wishes do you have for the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth and Children's Football Tournament to develop further in the future?
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nghia:I see that each year, the tournament is more and more perfect in all stages. However, I still hope that next season, the Organizing Committee can lower the age of participation in the Tournament to U10 and U12. Because after becoming famous in the Youth - Children's Football Cup Nghe An Newspaper, if they have the opportunity to become professional players, then they will have the conditions to participate immediately in the U11 and U13 national tournaments. But if at the current age, the players will have to wait another 2 years to participate in National tournaments such as U13 or U15.
PV: Thank you for this conversation!