"Running Man" Arsenal becomes Vietnam tourism ambassador?

The real star of Arsenal's Southeast Asian tour was not Olivier Giroud, who scored five goals against Vietnam and Indonesia, but the young Vietnamese man nicknamed "Running Man" Vu Xuan Tien, who suddenly became famous after running 5km following the bus carrying Arsenal players around the streets of Hanoi.

Tien's story has a fairy tale feel to it when the Hai Duong boy, from jogging alongside the Arsenal bus, was then invited onto the bus, given a jersey, given VIP tickets to watch a friendly match at My Dinh and then personally invited by coach Arsene Wenger to England to watch the Premier League.

Vu Xuan Tien was honored to stand with Lukas Podolski before the friendly match with Vietnam XI (Source: AFP)

Arsenal has also taken advantage of "Running Man" to promote its image, not only winning the hearts of Vietnamese fans but also fans around the world.

The Gunners have made two video clips introducing Tien on the club's homepage as well as on YouTube, while the boy's story has been published by many major news agencies as well as famous newspapers in England.

On the other hand, Tien also contributes to promoting the image of Vietnamese fans, enthusiastic and simple. Therefore, during the exchange with the Sports & Culture newspaper (Vietnam News Agency) on the morning of July 19, a reader... nominated him to be the Vietnam Tourism Ambassador!

Tien confided: "I don't think I will have this great opportunity. But if (just if), I will try to bring the most beautiful images of Vietnam and its people to the whole world. Besides, I also want to show the love, courage, and indomitable will of the Vietnamese people, which have been known since the war, to friends all over the world."

The unexpected reunion with Arsenal has opened a new page with many new opportunities in Vu Xuan Tien's life. When asked about the opportunity to become a medical caretaker for the HAGL.JMG center, Xuan Tien said he thought it was very difficult. But Tien believes that dream can still come true.

Xuan Tien was lucky to have the opportunity to go to England to watch Arsenal play live. He said that if he could, he would choose the match between Arsenal and the reigning champions Manchester United at Emirates. Tien wanted to see the common home of the “Gunners” with his own eyes, and share the love of Vietnamese fans with Arsenal players right in England.



Vu Xuan Tien and the author of the "Running Man" photo that went viral online

Xuan Tien started to admire Arsenal since he was 5 years old after watching football with his father and grandfather. He was impressed by the beautiful playing style and dedication of the "Gunners". Xuan Tien affirmed that even if Arsenal continued to lose, he would still admire this club until the end.

When asked about the secret to completing the 5km journey, the 1993-born man shared that he had no secret other than regular exercise and a burning love. Tien also revealed that he would be willing to race with Theo Walcott in London if given the chance.

The Vu Xuan Tien event also became a big topic of debate in the media when many people compared it to the phenomenon of "K-pop fanatics". When asked about this issue, Xuan Tien affirmed that "each person has their own love and expresses their own passion". He believes that "love is not a crime. The important thing is that you are brave enough to express that love."

Xuan Tien also clearly stated that he will not resell the shirt signed by coach Arsene Wenger even if anyone offers 1 billion VND or more. Tien affirmed that this love souvenir is priceless to him./.

According to VNA - DT