The example of determination
The 2024 Vietnam Golden Ball has chosen 2 worthy names. Nguyen Tien Linh and Tran Thi Thuy Trang both won this noble title for the first time. Thuy Trang did not cry when receiving the award, even though she is a special case of Vietnamese women's football in many aspects.
At the age of 37, few people are still pursuing a career in football. In the world, "born school" such as Luka Modric (39 years old), Ronaldo (40 years old) or further, Kazu Miura (57 years old) are rare.
In Vietnam, it is very normal for male and female players to retire when reaching the 33-34 age mark. But Thuy Trang, even though she is 37 years old, still does not want to stop. Holding the first Vietnam Golden Ball of her life in hand, she hopes to participate in another World Cup in futsal.
She started her football career by winning 2 Silver Medals at the 2011 and 2013 SEA Games with the Vietnam Women's Futsal Team. It was not until 2014 that the female midfielder from Quang Nam moved to the 11-a-side pitch when joining Ho Chi Minh City I club. 10 years later, she was honored to join the Vietnam Women's Team to participate in the 2023 FIFA World Cup in New Zealand.
Unfortunately, Thuy Trang did not have the opportunity to play and enjoy the atmosphere of the match at the biggest playground on the planet. Not giving up after that sadness, the 5-year-old girl "carried" her shoes to the training ground.
Since joining the Vietnam Women's Team, Thuy Trang and Ho Chi Minh City have dominated the national women's football tournament. Returning to a more suitable environment in the futsal playground, she and the Vietnam Women's Futsal Team won the Southeast Asian Championship for the first time the tournament was held. This title helps Thuy Trang become a rare female player in the history of national football to win the regional championship in both the 11-a-side and futsal fields.
Inspiration from overcoming adversity
Its hard to believe what Thuy Trang had to overcome to get through today, famous author Jere Longman shared. Thuy Trang's story is not simply about her perseverance in her expertise and outstanding achievements.
Nearly 10 years ago, Thuy Trang suffered a very serious injury. I fell during a training session at Ho Chi Minh City club. At that time, I could clearly hear my bones howling. Ms. Luu Ngoc Mai had to clean the household and then take me to the hospital to take photos. Watching X-rays, my bones broke and overlapped" - Thuy Trang confided.
She shared: "It took me a long time to convince me, then my mother agreed to let me have surgery and continue playing football. Two months after the surgery, although my bones have not fully recovered, I still practice early to qualify for the National Championship. My shoulders were flat and I had to undergo surgery early to remove them, but the steel was still in my bones. Two years later, I underwent a major surgery, the doctor removed the steel but had to attach 6 screws to fix the bones, gradually fixing them deep into the skin."
In 2017, when Thuy Trang won the first SEA Games Gold Medal in women's football in her career, her mother had stomach cancer. Thuy Trang sent all her salary, bonuses and allowances home to treat her mother. There were even months when this female midfielder had no money to buy personal items.
When her mother gradually recovered, her father suffered a stroke in 2018 and has been bedridden until now. The shock made Thuy Trang lose her spirit, and she once wanted to quit football to take care of her family. But with her passion and livelihood on the pitch, she could not give up.
For Thuy Trang, winning the Vietnam Golden Ball at the age of 37 is not only a desire to assert herself, but also a journey to overcome adversity. The applause at the awards gala and the tears of relatives are a worthy recognition of the determination of the "steel woman".
