Striker Nguyen Van Toan of Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC won the 2017 Fair Play Award at an annual event organised by Ho Chi Minh City Law newspaper in HCM City on March 14.

Nguyen Van Toan of Hoang Anh Gia Lai (centre) seen in the match against Thanh Hoa in the 12th round of the V.League 2017. (Source: zadn.vn)

Toan, who topped the list with 469 points, took the honour due to his impressive behaviour during a match between Hoang Anh Gia Lai and FLC Thanh Hoa in the 12th round on April 8, 2017.

He tried to persuade his teammates and managers to continue the game while they wanted to give up to object to the referee’s decision, which, they said, brought a negative result for Hoang Anh Gia Lai.

In that match, Hoang Anh Gia Lai lost 2-3.

Apart from the trophy, Toan received 40 million VND (1,800 USD).

Coach Mai Duc Chung, who coached both the national women’s and men’s team, took the second prize while national women’s team player Tran Thi Thuy Trang, who played football to save her mother suffering from cancer, came third.

Chung gained 414 points while Trang obtained 368 points.

The organising board also gave the fourth and fifth prizes to Futsal Thai Son Nam team with 315 points, and Nguyen Minh Phuong, coach of the Long An Club, with 276 points, respectively.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Vietnam Football Federation’s (VFF) Tran Anh Tu said the Fair Play Award has played a big role in the growth of national football. The VFF would try its best to create a healthy environment so that football could strongly develop and see many more fair play players and behaviour.

More than 150 sports people including reporters, coaches, experts and other were invited to vote for the award, which ran for the sixth edition this year. - VNA