The people who give life to Nghe An football field

Way to the field

Admiring commentator Quang Huy, Duong Cong Anh (born in 1984) persistently and persistently realized his passion for becoming a football commentator. Having never set foot in Hanoi, Cong Anh speaks Mandarin very well. He imitates his idol from the way he uses words to the way he pronounces, from the way he emphasizes to the way he relates... Cong Anh often turns off the TV when watching football to comment for his family and enthusiastically volunteers to comment for those who are interested.football matchlocally

Commentator Duong Cong Anh comments on a match at the 2022 Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament. Photo: Diep Thanh

After graduating from grade 12, Cong Anh took the entrance exam for a television college following his teacher's direction and applied for the position of commentator at VTV Cab under the guidance of a senior in the profession.

At the end of 2002, the small young man, who looked too small in a borrowed suit, passed hundreds of applications to become an official commentator for VTV Cab. Cong Anh began his days filled with passion, burning himself out with emotional football matches. International football tournaments mainly took place in the evenings according to Vietnam time, so Cong Anh still went to school during the day and went to work at night. The top European football tournaments usually started at 6pm to 4am... there were nights when Cong Anh commented on 6 consecutive football matches. In 2010, after K+ was born, VTV Cab no longer broadcast live football, Duong Cong Anh moved to another department. Bored and missing his job, in his free time, Cong Anh often hung around football fields to ask for free commentary to satisfy his desire. That was also how Cong Anh came to his hometown football tournaments.

Dream of becoming a commentatorfootballThe passion for football of the boy from Thanh Chuong, Phan Dinh Hiep (born in 1990), was kindled very early. Hiep's childhood was associated with football matches on TV, on the schoolyard, on the grasslands and football matches taking place in his imagination. The intense and attractive developments of the imaginary football matches were "reported" by Hiep every day, while herding buffalo, while going to school... Hiep dreamed of growing up to become a colleague with his idol - football commentator Quang Huy.

Commentator Phan Dinh Hiep "works" simply on the football field. Photo: NVCC

In grade 6, in a moment of excitement, Hiep boldly commented on a match in the commune tournament and received enthusiastic support from all the audience. The role of "commentator" followed Hiep from then on. The years of living and studying in Hanoi helped Hiep practice his ability to speak fluent and accurate Mandarin. Returning to Vinh at the time when amateur football flourished, Hiep became a familiar face at amateur football tournaments in Nghe An.

Coming to the profession when opportunities were very limited, the working conditions of these amateur commentators were often right at home.pitch line, with simple equipment such as microphone, speaker and a lot of enthusiasm. When it rains, bring an umbrella, when it's sunny, wear a hat, just like that, breezy and cheerful, to fuel the spirit of the players, and call the audience to the field.

From “side hustle” to professional dream

For a long time, because of the seasonal nature and low income, football commentary can only be a “side job” for Cong Anh and Hoang Hiep. Both are employees of private enterprises. Although it is called a “side job”, the love of the two commentators for this job makes many people admire. Every season, both of them work hard to arrange time for their passion. They always enter the field with an enthusiastic spirit and seriously dedicate themselves to the matches.

According to Mr. Duong Cong Anh, because the income from being a commentator is not much, people working in this profession need a lot of passion to be able to pursue it. Photo: NVCC

To become a football commentator, the first requirement is passion and knowledge about this sport. Their heads must always be full of information about tournaments, players, tactics...

Cong Anh shared: “To speak well, you have to know a lot. In addition to regularly updating football information through newspapers and radio, you also have to search for information from reality. I myself always take advantage of every opportunity to interact and chat with players of football teams. Only when you understand them can you talk about them, and only when you have a lot of knowledge can you paint a picture for them.”Comments section"It makes the commentary more interesting." Indeed, interweaving "sideline" information makes the commentary more interesting, and the match more interesting.

Voice is the unique “identity” of each football commentator. While Cong Anh has a characteristic deep voice, Hoang Hiep has a clear, resonant voice. In addition to the requirement of clear pronunciation, commentators need to know how to “nourish” their voice and protect their throat. Hiep often uses special sweet-tasting candies while Cong Anh often drinks salted lemon and monk fruit juice.

Quick hands and eyes are also indispensable requirements for commentators. Intense situations on the field often happen very quickly, requiring instantaneous transmission at that moment. If the player's name is not yet known, the commentator only has a split second to comment on the match's progress while glancing down at the player list. That said, quickness in handling situations and good memory are huge advantages for commentators.

From an amateur, Phan Dinh Hiep is gradually pursuing the path of a professional commentator. Photo: NVCC

While Cong Anh pursues a serious and meticulous commentary style, humor and youthfulness are Hoang Hiep's unique charms. Many times Hiep scores points with the audience with humorous comparisons and analogies. "Because the players and the audience directly listen to the commentary, all praise and criticism from the commentator must always be accompanied by respect, moderation, and not hurt anyone. Knowing the nicknames and characteristics of each player, understanding and being close to the teams... also contribute to professionalism. The compliments and acceptance of the audience are the motivation for us to continue pursuing our passion" - Hoang Hiep confided.

In recent years, as the trend of livestreaming has developed and the sports movement has grown, commentators have had more opportunities. In many tournaments, instead of standing on the sidelines, they sit separately with the technical and media departments, watching the match mainly through the screen with unlimited "online" coverage. Thanks to that, both have had more opportunities to develop their passion and work as professional commentators.