A grand ceremony took place at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on January 28 evening to honour the U23 team, who just brought home the silver medal from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Championship.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Tran Dai Quang and National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan sent flowers to congratulate the team for their outstanding accomplishment.

Immediately after arriving at the stadium, the U23 players and their coach Park Hang Seo walked around the field to express their gratitude to fans, who had supported them all along their journey in the championship. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien stressed in the past more than two weeks, Vietnamese people followed with joy and pride the U23 team’s win after win against strong competitors from Australia, Iraq and Qatar to finally reach the final for the first time ever. The silver medal at the AFC U23 Championship this year opened a new page in Vietnam’s football history, he said.

He attributed the results to their determination, solidarity, effective strategy, and national pride.

On behalf of the U23 team, captain Xuan Truong expressed thanks for the warm support from the Party, State, and fans, saying this was a drive for the team to achieve more in the future. 

Hoang Thi Nga, a fan from Thai Nguyen, said: “I came to Hanoi early this morning to welcome the team home. I am filled with emotion, I think of them as brave heroes, who fought with all they had and national pride. The ceremony was impressive and meaningful to the team and their fans, it connected people.” 

Fans at the grand ceremony  U23 players and their coach Park Hang Seo walked around the field. Fans crowded the My Dinh National Stadium  Coach Park Hang Seo Quang Hai

VNA