"After the 32nd SEA Games, we will consider the proposal to award the title of Labor Hero to Coach Mai Duc Chung. This requires a very difficult process but coach Mai Duc Chung deserves it after his dedication to the country’s football," an official of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training told VietNamNet.

So far, only one person in the sports sector has been awarded the title of Labor Hero: the late Vice President of the Vietnam Olympic Committee Hoang Vinh Giang.

“Sports is an area with unique characteristics, with great contributions and sacrifices of managers, coaches, athletes. We always hope that Vietnamese sports will have many people honored with noble titles," he said.

Coach Mai Duc Chung, 71, has devoted himself to Vietnamese football in many roles, from a player to assistant coach, and coach for many football teams in the V-League, and then as the head coach of national squads.

For women's football, Chung has been the most successful coach in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. 

Under his guidance, the Vietnamese women's team will enter the World Cup 2023 finals for the first time . It recently set a record of winning the SEA Games gold medal for the fourth consecutive time.

Chung has helped Vietnam to be the most successful in women's football history at SEA Games, with 8 gold medals compared to Thailand’s five gold medals.

Notably, of the 8 gold medals won by the Vietnamese women's team at eight SEA Games, Chung led the team for 6 times in 2003, 2005, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023. 

No football coach in Vietnam or the region has achieved this record.

After the 32nd SEA Games, coach Chung will lead the Vietnamese women's team at the World Cup 2023 in July in New Zealand.

Dai Nam