The National Football Tournament for Children with Special Difficulties in 2019 will officially take place from June 20th to September 14th. The tournament is organized by the Vietnam Children’s Support Fund (Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs) in collaboration with Nhi Dong Newspaper and the Physical Education Department (Ministry of Education and Training).
In its first edition, the tournament saw the participation of 27 boys’ teams from 26 provinces and cities nationwide, including Hanoi, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Phu Tho, Son La, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Da Nang, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Thua Thien Hue, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Dong Nai, An Giang, Ben Tre, Kien Giang, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Ca Mau, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Speaking at the press conference held on June 10th in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha, Head of the tournament’s steering committee, stated that in recent years, the Party and the State have always shown special concern for children, especially those who are poor, from disadvantaged areas, or have special circumstances, in order to improve their living conditions and facilitate their integration and development.
According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Ha, the “National Football Tournament for Children with Special Difficulties” in 2019 aims to achieve three main objectives: providing an opportunity for children with special circumstances, who often have fewer opportunities for social interaction and learning, to engage in a humanitarian football tournament; spreading love to football fans nationwide for children with special circumstances, thereby promoting the care and education of adolescents and children; and creating a meaningful and beneficial sports playground for children living in social support facilities throughout the country, as well as discovering talented young football players to nurture and supplement the national youth football teams. Through the tournament, the children will also learn valuable life skills through team activities.
In its inaugural edition, the tournament featured the participation of 27 men’s football teams representing 26 provinces and cities nationwide, including Hanoi, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Phu Tho, Son La, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Da Nang, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Thua Thien Hue, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Dong Nai, An Giang, Ben Tre, Kien Giang, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Ca Mau, and Ho Chi Minh City. The participants were aged between 11 and 14 and were living in social assistance facilities or were children with special circumstances nationwide. The tournament was divided into three groups for the preliminary round, held in the provinces of Phu Tho, Binh Dinh, and Ho Chi Minh City. The preliminary round took place from June 20 to 30.
T&T Corporation donated 1 billion VND to the Football Tournament.
After the qualifying rounds, 16 teams will be selected to advance to the final round, which will be held in Hanoi from August 3rd to August 14th. The organizers will award prizes to the champion, runner-up, two third-place teams, the team with the best style, and the team with positive spirit, as well as other individual awards.
Just returning after scoring an important goal to equalize for the Vietnamese national team in the match against the Curacao national team at the 2019 King’s Cup, national team player Duc Huy attended the press conference introducing the national football tournament for children with special difficulties. Duc Huy, who is the tournament’s representative, shared his advice to the participating children: “You should live to the fullest with passion and become useful individuals in society, and success will come to you.”