On December 9, Vice President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Tran Anh Tu met with Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung to report ongoing difficulties faced by the Vietnam women’s football team and the U22 men’s team during the 33rd SEA Games.

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Minister Nguyen Van Hung visits and encourages Vietnam's sports delegation at SEA Games 33 – Photo: Quy Luong

Addressing the Minister, Tu highlighted the most pressing issue: the training venue for the women’s team. “The training field is located about 40 kilometers away, and the roads are narrow. It takes an hour and a half to get there, sometimes even four to five hours,” he said. “Many of our players are exhausted before even stepping onto the field.”

Tu expressed confusion over why the host country’s organizing committee assigned such a distant facility to the Vietnamese team and asked Minister Hung to raise the issue directly with Thailand. “I respectfully ask the Minister and the team leadership to advocate for a closer training ground for our women’s team,” he said.

Aside from the training difficulties, Tu also spoke about nutrition concerns. Both the women’s team and the U22 men’s team have had to purchase additional food on their own to maintain their physical condition during the competition.

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Vietnam women’s football team facing multiple disadvantages – Photo: Quoc An

Previously, head coach Mai Duc Chung voiced his frustration over the refereeing in the team’s loss to the Philippines. “I’m not blaming anyone, but fairness is important. There was a handball by the opponent that wasn’t called, while our players were penalized for much lighter infractions. The referees were noticeably more lenient with the Philippines,” he said.

After hearing the report, Minister Hung stated that he would bring the matter to the attention of the Thai Olympic Committee. He acknowledged that it may be difficult to change the training field arrangements immediately but pledged maximum support for the teams.

The Minister encouraged the teams’ leadership to help the athletes adapt to the conditions in Thailand and stay focused on a successful SEA Games performance.

Despite the disappointing loss to the Philippines, the women’s team returned to training on the morning of December 9. Coach Mai Duc Chung stressed the importance of maintaining the highest level of determination heading into their next match.

Vietnam will face Myanmar at 4:00 p.m. on December 11 at Chonburi Stadium, Thailand.

Dai Nam