That can be seen through the results of the vote for Outstanding National Athlete, Coach, and Sports Team in 2024 announced in the middle of last week (December 26). Accordingly, in the Outstanding Athlete category, there is only one male player, Tran Quyet Chien. In 2024, the player born in 1984 won the World Cup twice and won the World 3-cushion carom billiards team championship (with Bao Phuong Vinh). However, with 894 votes, he could only rank 2nd, after female shooter Trinh Thu Vinh (1,286 points).
Not only that, the athletes below him are all female athletes in different sports - Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen (volleyball), Nguyen Thi Huong (canoeing), Pham Thi Hue (Rowing), Nguyen Thuy Linh (badminton), Nguyen Thi That (cycling), Ha Thi Linh (boxing), Tran Thi Nhi Yen (athletics), Do Thi Anh Nguyet (archery). 9/10 outstanding athletes come from individual sports.
Not only athletes, in the category of Outstanding Sports Team, there are also women's teams. It is not surprising that the national women's volleyball team, with the Asian Challenge Cup championship, SEA V.League runner-up, VTV Cup runner-up and especially the 3rd place at FIVB Challenger Cup to thereby win a ticket to the World Cup in Thailand in 2025. Meanwhile, the women's futsal team won the Southeast Asian championship, the women's 4x400m relay track and field team won the Asian Gold Medal.
Football has received the most attention and investment, but no star has left an impression on the journey of the past 12 months. The story of Nguyen Xuan Son becoming a naturalized citizen and joining the Nam Dinh Steel Club is noteworthy, but it is only a highlight, not a mark.
Failures in other sports when entering the big arena are not only a measure of current Vietnamese sports but also show the great difficulty for Vietnamese athletes and men's sports teams in competing with international opponents.
Hopefully 2025 will be a "prosperous" year for both sexes, despite many challenges and difficulties.
