"Don't interview me this Tet?"
While busy preparing for the 2025 Lunar New Year's Eve party, I received a message, which immediately made me laugh. The letter comes from the Facebook account of striker Nguyen Van Toan - the national player of the Vietnam Football Team.
"Oh, I haven't seen any interviews for the New Year this year, or am I getting any attention? This house probably only considers me as a... a tree to withdraw money and interview when needed," Van Toan jokingly added with good luck at the beginning of the year to my family. The relationship between Van Toan and the sports program of Lao Dong Newspaper is also special, as my husband is the bridge.
Van Toan always supports Lao Dong Newspaper in his own way. Not only a reader, the striker born in 1996 has never refused an interview invitation to attend the newspaper's talk show, as long as Lao Dong needs. Most recently, he shared stories he had never told about his close friend Hoa Minzy in Lao Dong Newspaper.
Van Toan has a close friend, center back Que Ngoc Hai, and he is always a special interview character. Even in sensitive times, playing well or not, the player born in 1993 always accompanies Lao Dong Newspaper. However, Que Ngoc Hai still tried to joking: "Just this one, I will never answer again".
"Special property" of Lao Dong
Many volleyball athletes see Lao Dong Newspaper as a small home to share and confide in. Lao Dong's "Sports Perspective" program always spends a lot of time on this most popular sport. Bich Tuyen once took advantage of a short break to travel from Ninh Binh to the capital to film; Tu Linh nodded in agreement to attend even though she didn't know the content; like "hot-girl" Thu Hoai, Viet Huong never refused the reporter's invitation; or like player Le Thanh Thuy, although busy, still took the opportunity to appear...
Working at many different volleyball tournaments, reporter Hoang Hue has become a familiar face to football teams, athletes and the tournament organizing committee. The writer once laughed when Hue chased after a player to interview and received the answer: "Have you not been tired of interviewing me? ".
Even coaches like Pham Van Long and Nguyen Tuan Kiet are famous for being difficult, but still smile and nod when asked by reporters from Lao Dong Newspaper. Once, coach Lee Young-taek (Korea) attended matches at the national volleyball championship, although he had prepared to get on the bus to go home, he still accepted to return when he received an interview invitation from a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper.
Bich Tuyen and many teammates have revealed that they are very happy every time they are on air and confide comfortably. Going to Lao Dong Newspaper to read volleyball news has now become a habit of many fans.
A "viral" video
Last year, when the Vietnamese sports delegation prepared to attend the Paris Olympics, we used many methods to schedule interviews and filmings with two badminton athletes Nguyen Thuy Linh and Le Duc Phat. Because the badminton team practiced in Bac Ninh, the crew had to travel a long distance instead of filming at the studio, but the results were beyond expectations.
In addition to footage sharing the journey of pursuing passion, the efforts and difficulties of the two characters, another moment suddenly went viral on social networking platforms such as Facebook and TikTok. That is the confession "I am the owner of the flower" of Vietnam's No. 1 female tennis player Nguyen Thuy Linh.
That was the first time the "hot girl" of badminton admitted that she had a boyfriend. Before that, she had never made her love story public on social media or the media. This information attracted the attention of fans. Until now, more than a year has passed, this video still regularly appears on TikTok every time Thuy Linh attends international tournaments.
"Buy" nearby neighbors
Located on Pham Van Bach Street, less than 100 meters apart, "Sports Perspective" can be able to ignore this "treasure". Commentator Tran Hoang Hai - who is known as a poet with many viral statements on television - often visits the headquarters of Lao Dong Newspaper. He often finishes his lunch work, has snacks and then goes to film a talk show.
"We can't always air for many different reasons. But every time Lao Dong Newspaper speaks out, I always arrange in many ways to be able to attend the programs. For commentators like me, being able to participate in the program is also an honor" - commentator Hoang Hai shared with the writer.
A little further is Mr. Ngo Quang Tung - the leading veteran commentator on national television. "Ngo Quang Tung - Sports perspective" has also become an indispensable spiritual dish for many years of Lao Dong Newspaper.
"Anh, this week's topic is difficult, only you can comment," the writer boldly texted Mr. Quang Tung with the fear of being angry because the invitation was close. On the contrary, Mr. Tung always happily said that working with young people helped him find his energy when he was young. Despite being busy with work and traveling in many places, this veteran commentator still took the opportunity to stop by number 6 Pham Van Bach when the clock was set at 7:00 p.m.
At the age of 25, commentator Quang Tung is both a trusted partner and a long-time reader of Lao Dong Newspaper. Even when he became Deputy Director of Viettel Sports Center, Mr. Quang Tung always supported the court in many different ways.
Many other players and athletes are also loyal readers of the newspaper.
Not long ago, a young player from Thanh Hoa shared with the writer: "I have to try, I have to be excellent enough to be on the One-time Sports Perspective program"...
