Sport

On the sidelines of the Nghe An Newspaper Cup: A special round of applause.

Diep Thanh • June 12, 2024 13:51

For the first time, the Tuong Duong Children's team reached the semi-finals of the Nghe An Newspaper Cup, giving the young players from Tra Lan a truly memorable season.

Sleepless night

That's what many parents in Tuong Duong shared before their children started school.semi-finalthis morning.

"I'm always nervous and tense when the kids play, and the tension only increases as the tournament progresses. Like yesterday's quarter-final match, I didn't dare watch the penalty shootout; I closed my eyes until everyone started cheering," a parent shared.

"I couldn't sleep at all last night, tossing and turning thinking about today's match. Why am I so stressed out even when the kids are playing?" another parent added.

"Yesterday I got motion sickness, I was so tired and couldn't sleep at all," another parent added.

nguyễn đạo — The supporters of the Tuong Duong Children's team always cheer on their home team with positive encouragement. Photo: Nguyen Dao

Many parents of the Tuong Duong Children's team stayed up all night before the semi-final match on the morning of June 12th. It is known that many families of the players traveled to Vinh from the very first days to support their children.

The silent audience

Among the supporters of the Tuong Duong team this morning were many special figures. These included former and current leaders and officials from Tuong Duong, who now hold important roles in various agencies and organizations. Even if they only stopped by to encourage the children or quietly watched part of the match from a corner, their presence held immense spiritual significance.

Ông Kha Văn Tám - Chủ tịch Liên đoàn Lao động ghé qua nhà thi đấu để xem và cổ vũ — Mr. Kha Van Tam, Chairman of the Provincial Labor Union, took the opportunity to visit the stadium to watch and cheer on the young players. Photo: Diep Thanh

bna_ben-le-san-co-sang-12-6-anh-diep-thanh00005-0c36f1ca499b7a47173b8dc2b35b12bc(1).jpg — Presenting gifts to the players before the match. Photo: Diep Thanh

bna_ben-le-san-co-sang-12-6-anh-diep-thanh00000-13ba24a3078b5acfac9199eb51dad66e(1).jpg — Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh - Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of the province, cheers on the players before the match. Photo: Diep Thanh

Representing the Tuong Duong Hometown Association in Vinh City, Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh presented gifts to encourage the children before the match, advising them: “We are always following and supporting you. Remember, this is the last match, you have already done very well, now just keep up the spirit, play well, give it your all, don't be afraid of anything!”

Those genuine and unpretentious qualities also contributed to a remarkably resilient and admirable fighting spirit. This also proves that love and pride for their homeland are characteristic and typical qualities of the people of Tra Lan.

A special round of applause

As the semi-final match between Quy Hop Children's Team and Tuong Duong Children's Team ended, the Tuong Duong supporters welcomed their young players home with smiles and applause, although many secretly wiped away tears.

- You kids are so good!

That's great! Your parents are so proud of you!

bên lề sân cỏ sáng 12:6 Ảnh Diệp Thanh00002 — Fans presented gifts to the players right on the field after the semi-final match. Photo: Diep Thanh

Then, while encouraging the players and keeping their children busy to prevent them from crying, these fans told the players to line up so they could receive gifts right on the field.

“The gifts came from a group of supporters, some are business owners in Tuong Duong, and others are people from Tuong Duong who do business in Vinh. The gifts aren't big, but they're a recognition of the children's efforts and hard work. We want them to know that we love and are proud of them,” a parent shared. It is known that before returning to Tuong Duong, the players will go on a trip to Cua Lo beach.

Little Hero

Lo Quoc Duc is the youngest player on the Tuong Duong Children's team, the player who has created a flurry of goals in previous matches, and also the player with a more challenging family situation compared to his teammates.

“Duc is from the Thai ethnic group, living in Khe Chi village. His parents are farmers, so they have a harder life than others. During the competition, despite his small stature and numerous collisions with opponents leading to injuries, his fighting spirit was incredibly resilient. After learning he had sprained his ankle, despite the pain, he continued to participate with the utmost effort,” said Coach Nguyen Duc Thang of the team.Tuong Duong Childrenshare.

bên lề sân cỏ sáng 12:6 Ảnh Diệp Thanh00003 — This is the first time footballer Lo Quoc Duc and his son have visited Vinh City. Photo: Diep Thanh

Having followed his son since the early days of the tournament, Lo Quoc Duc's father honestly said: "Duc hasn't gone to school anywhere; he's only been learning football from Coach Thang for the past two months. When Duc came here, I followed him so I could take care of him. This is the first time Duc and I have come to Vinh."

Hopefully, after this first time, Duc and his fellow enthusiasts will have many more opportunities to participate in exciting and professional tournaments in the future.

Diep Thanh