On the morning of August 3, during a physical test for referees and professional assistant referees organized by the Vietnam Football Federation, referee Tran Dinh Thinh suddenly fainted while completing the final round.
Despite timely emergency care and taking him to the hospital, he did not survive and breathed his last at 2:00 a.m. on August 4, at the age of 43.
According to his colleagues, when he fell during the fitness test, referee Tran Dinh Thinh still tried to say in a weak voice: "Let me run until I finish".
After that statement, Mr. Thinh collapsed and lost consciousness.
Referee Tran Dinh Thinh was born in 1982, in Dong Nai, and began his journey as a horn player in 2010. He is a familiar face in the V.League, having been awarded the title of "Coi Dong" in the 2023-2024 season and "Coi Bac" in the following season.
For more than a decade in charge of national football tournaments, referee Tran Dinh Thinh has always shown his calmness, seriousness and courage in assigned matches. His passing is a loss not only to his family and friends but also to an entire generation of referees who are striving for the development of Vietnamese football.
