General Department of Sports and Physical Training intervenes after the death of referee Duong Ngoc Tan

As we reported, after 5 days of emergency treatment at Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi), Yen Bai assistant referee Duong Ngoc Tan passed away on April 7.

Previously, referee Tan had a stroke during a pre-season test on April 2nd, and was then hospitalized for emergency treatment. According to doctors at Bach Mai Hospital, assistant Tan had high blood pressure, which was one of the reasons leading to kidney failure and possibly a stroke.

Referee Duong Ngoc Tan passed away after a stroke.

The death of referee Duong Ngoc Tan can be said to be an occupational accident, but if it weren't for the perverse procedure of "physical fitness test before medical examination" of the Referee Board, perhaps this heartbreaking incident would not have happened.

Specifically, the referees' testing schedule is very strange as follows: 3:30 pm on Monday, April 2nd for physical examination. Two days later, on Wednesday, April 4th, 2018, for medical examination. Thus, the referees will not be tested to see if they are physically fit for the very harsh physical tests of the Referee Board.

The basis of the Referee Board is only the health examination certificate of the referees, sent from the locality. According to the Head of the VFF Referee Board Nguyen Van Mui, the overall examination results of the referees in the localities are the main basis for the Organizing Committee of the training course for referees and assistants, including V-League or First Division, to evaluate the referees' health.

According to the medical examination documents, assistant referee Duong Ngoc Tan was assessed as being completely healthy enough to participate in the physical examination. However, the unfortunate incident still happened, and the unfortunate thing is that referee Tan no longer had the opportunity to undergo a health examination at the Vietnam Sports Hospital, as per the reverse procedure of the VFF Referee Board.

This year, the Referee Board was assigned to VFF to be responsible for management and inspection. During this training session, there was coordination with VPF. Therefore, after the death of Referee Tan, it cannot be said that the VFF Referee Board is not responsible.

Regarding this incident, sharing with the press, General Director of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training Vuong Bich Thang said: "When all the funeral matters are over, the General Department of Sports and Physical Training will investigate and direct the consideration of responsibility. Why was there a violation of procedures and not a health check like the previous times that caused such a loss?"