Couple 'raising' hundreds of Nghe An Newspaper Cup players

On summer days, the dinner table of Mr. Quang Trung and Ms. Lan Anh (Block 5, Tan Ky town) has more bowls and chopsticks. That is when the young players of Tan Ky district gather to practice for the upcoming season of the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament. Still simple dishes with a rustic flavor, but warm with the love of children and passion for football.

Tan Ky Children's Football Players are actively practicing for the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Football Tournament in 2022. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Continuing the tradition of predecessors

Ms. Pham Thi Lan Anh is an officer at the Tan Ky District Culture, Sports and Communications Center, so she has the opportunity to be close to and closely follow the young players from the first training sessions. Her husband, Mr. Nguyen Quang Trung, is a person who is very passionate about football. The idea of ​​a shared kitchen to nurture young players originated from here. The cost of maintaining the kitchen is not small. However, with the support of parents, the football team and even family members, they are still diligently playing the role of "foster brothers".

There were years when Mr. Trung was busy and away from home, unable to handle the work alone, so the relatives around him joined together to take care of the kitchen, arranging meals and accommodation for the children. With their joint efforts and hearts, for over 10 years, they have been able to maintain a bustling kitchen every summer.

Ms. Pham Thi Lan Anh and her husband prepare lunch with Tan Ky young players. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Ms. Lan Anh shared: “Previously, the family of Mr. Co, the coach of the district’s youth soccer team, also used to feed the players at home. However, after Mr. Co passed away, our family took over this job.”

From 2009 until now, Ms. Lan Anh can't remember how many generations of players she has raised. She only remembers that in the least years, there were more than ten children, and in the most years, there were more than 30. Every year, her family has welcomed hundreds of young players.

The man … standing in the kitchen

Because Lan Anh was busy with work and could only help after office hours, Trung did most of the cooking. His hands nimbly chopped the chicken, stirred the stove, and seasoned the food with great skill.

Mr. Trung shared right in his kitchen: "I am passionate about football, and I also love the children. Their parents live far away, so I try to be close and take care of them on their behalf."

Meal of young football players at Trung's family. Photo: Ngan Hanh

Mr. Trung is a soldier, often having to go on business trips away from home, some of which last for more than half a year, but coincidentally, every time the team gathers, it is his vacation. He shared: "Some years there are two gatherings, some years there is only one, each gathering lasts about half a month. The whole year, the vacation is spent on the team."

Beautiful memories for young players

This year, Tan Ky district has only one children's team participating in the Youth Football Tournament - Nghe An Newspaper Cup. Most of the young players are still in primary school, but when they come here, everyone is very independent in their daily activities. Nguyen Thanh Quan (Phu Son commune) has only been here for 3 days but is very proactive in helping the uncles and aunts set the table, sweep the house, and clean up: "I'm here but I don't feel homesick because I call my parents every day. The uncles and aunts also care a lot, so I'm very happy." Meanwhile, Nguyen Van Anh (Dong Van commune) is excited to live and practice with his friends. Van Anh shared: "We are very happy and united together."

With the care of Lan Anh and her husband, the Tan Ky young players are confident in their training, achieving high results for many years in a row in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Football Tournament. Photo: Ngan Hanh

Not only Thanh Quan or Van Anh, but many other young players are also eagerly waiting for summer to come back to participate in training activities and satisfy their passion for football. And kitchens like this, though small, are also giving them the strength to pursue their dreams...

Ngan Hanh - Thanh Cuong