the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games 30 last year.

Chairman of Quang Ninh Coal club of V.League 1, Pham Thanh Hung (right) and head coach Mai Duc Chung of the Vietnamese women’s football team at the SEA Games 30 last year. — Photo baomoi.com

While some said he used the money to gain fame, Hung has retorted that if VND3 billion was enough to earn fame, a lot of people would do it.

“I rewarded the players simply because I thought I needed to do something to motivate them. Our female players are talented, resilient and enthusiastic but most of them struggle in life. Most footballers save to send money to their families. I would like to contribute a little bit of my effort to help them as well as and be grateful to them,” said Hung.

In addition to his role as chairman of Quang Ninh, he is also head of the Women's Football Department of the Vietnam Football Federation.

“Since the success of the SEA Games 30 in which Vietnam won a gold medal, women's football has received much attention from society, things are gradually getting better. But to develop comprehensively and create a breakthrough, women's football needs to expand youth training. The number of young female aces playing football is too few,” said Hung.

“Every club and every province must have a separate training centre for women, then new opportunities will arise. In addition, we must create more playgrounds for female players, helping them grow up. Naturally, to do this requires a long-term strategy and co-operation from all of society,” Hung added.

Born and raised in a sports family in Quang Ninh Province, Hung always loved the beautiful game as a youth he often walked for miles to watch football.

Currently, he is chairman of the board of Ha Giang Gold Mineral Expolotion Joint Stock Company and the main shareholder of Dong Bac Construction Mine Industrial Joint Stock Company.

In 2014, Hung became chairman of Quang Ninh Coal and the team surged to finish fourth in the table.

Quang Ninh Coal Supporters Association also made developed in this period, offering full-throated support to their team and becoming one of the top supporters associations in the league.

Things have changed for the club since Hung took over, as he aimed to develop stability, sustainability and identity for the team, with clean football the goal.

While Quang Ninh have yet to taste sweet trophy success, the team is certainly one on the up.

“Over the years, team leaders and I focused on building the foundation for the team with youth training. Initially, it proved effective, but to win, there was a lack of things. The biggest shortage for Quang Ninh is the source of talented young players. I think Hanoi maintain their dominance thanks to their very good young training, their players are high quality,” said Hung. VNS

Vietnam women’s team have big chance for Olympic spot

The Vietnamese women’s football team have a big chance to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 after their rival, North Korea, withdrew from the upcoming third qualifying round of the Games.

Vietnamese women’s football team receive big bonus

The Vietnamese women’s national football team have been awarded a bonus totaling VND2.5 billion following their progression to the final round of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games 30.