After the merger, Ho Chi Minh City will become a super urban area with the largest population and economic scale in the country. In addition to many fields, physical education and sports - especially football - are expected to have a strong transformation, worthy of the new position.
According to Mr. Cao Van Chong - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City, this is the golden time for the city's football to accelerate the process of restructuring and sustainable development.
Currently, Ho Chi Minh City is a locality with 3 professional teams, including 2 teams in the V.League, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City and Ho Chi Minh City Police, and 1 team in the First Division, Ho Chi Minh City (old Ba Ria Vung Tau). This not only creates a healthy competitive environment, but also opens up investment opportunities, improves professional quality and attracts fans back to the pitch.
However, Mr. Chong believes that the development of Ho Chi Minh City football still has many barriers: "Currently, the city's football management and development work, although it has improved, is not yet uniform among regions; the coaching staff is still limited in both quantity and quality; the system of training and developing young players is not synchronous; investment resources are unstable, facilities do not meet new requirements...".
6 task groups
According to the Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City, the city needs to perform well 6 groups of tasks.
First is to innovate management thinking, but at the same time, it is to perfect the legal system. Innovation in management thinking, at the same time, is the improvement of the legal system.
Actively cooperate and promote the advantages of training resources of specialized institutes and universities in the city; build a team of managers, professional staff and coaches with strategic vision and modern qualifications. Improve football management capacity, complete related legal documents.
Advising on the development of specific mechanisms and policies, incentives for coaches, experts, and scientists participating in talent training. Create a favorable legal corridor, encourage businesses, organizations and individuals to invest in football as well as maximize capacity and effectively exploit sports facilities.
Second is to improve the organization and quality of activities of the Ho Chi Minh City Football Federation in a professional direction. Urgently improve key personnel and innovate the Federation's operations in a professional and effective manner.
Develop a variety of football activities suitable for conditions and development potential in each area of the city to effectively use resources and promote the strengths of each area, not only in 11-a-side football but also pay attention to developing 7-a-side football, futsal, beach soccer, women's football, street football, artistic football... contributing to the richness and colorfulness of the city's football life.
Third, we must strengthen propaganda and dissemination to raise awareness of developing civilized and healthy football. Promote the role of the Football Federation as well as sectors, professional clubs, sports centers, sports and physical training service businesses in the orientation of football development.
Create conditions to organize many large-scale and diverse grassroots football events, community football festivals, school football, football among workers... attracting the participation of a large number of people.
Fourth, improve the quality of recruiting, training and coaching young talents; Build a modern, methodical and scientific training system; Develop football academies and training centers, increase the application of science and technology in selection, training, management and competition organization.
Fifth, it will inherit and further promote international cooperation activities of the city's football, typically the cooperation in youth football training between Ho Chi Minh City and Lyon (France), between Becamex Ho Chi Minh City Club and Kawasaki Frontale (Japan), most recently the cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City Club and Gremio Club (Brazil) witnessed by the Government leaders and leaders of the National Football Federation 2. This activity needs to be paid attention to and implemented more strongly in the coming time.
Sixth, urgently complete facilities for sports and physical training in general and football in particular, to meet new development requirements.
Renovate and upgrade existing works and plan and build new sports complexes, including stadiums at different levels, in a modern and scientific direction, qualified to host national and international sports events.
Encourage businesses and individuals to invest in building sports facilities combining many types of entertainment, business and community service, each sports event is a real festival, from organizing and operating professional sports events to promoting entertainment and health training in the community.
The formation of the super urban area of Ho Chi Minh City not only opens a new era of socio-economic development, but also a great boost for the city's football to transform, becoming the locomotive of Vietnamese football in the near future.
