Vietnam’s national futsal squad was named for the first prize of the 2016 Fair Play Award with 705 points at a ceremony held by the Ho Chi Minh City law newspaper on the evening of March 1.

During their debut at the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup, the Vietnamese team impressed audiences by making it to Round 16 and were honoured by the International Football Federation (FIFA) with the fair-play prize for the tournament.

The second and third prizes went to football coach Hoang Anh Tuan and HCM City’s women’s football team with 564 and 473 points, respectively.

Tuan has been considered a multitalented and multi-style trainer with high awareness of national pride. Under his leadership, Vietnam’s U-19 football team qualified for the 2017 U-20 World Cup finals for the first time, turning a new page for Vietnamese football.

Meanwhile, HCM City’s women’s football team claimed the national championship title for the second consecutive time in 2016. 

After being crowned, the players voluntarily spent a part of their cash bonus building three charity houses for poor people in District 1’s Cau Kho, Cau Ong Lanh and Co Giang wards and presenting gifts to the disadvantaged across the city.

At the ceremony, the organising committee also honoured referee Nguyen Quoc Hung; Mrs. Do Ngoc Linh, a hygiene worker at the Ho Xuan Huong Gymnasium; and the Vietnam Football Fans Association.

According to Editor-in-chief Mai Ngoc Phuoc of the HCM City law newspaper, the annual Fair Play Award aims to honour noble sportsmanship and promote good behaviour and honesty in competition, contributing strength to the fight against negativity in football.

Nhan Dan