After the Vietnamese Golden Ball, Đình Bắc and Hoàng Đức continue competing for titles

Following the 2025 Vietnamese Golden Ball race, striker Nguyễn Đình Bắc and midfielder Nguyễn Hoàng Đức have entered another significant title competition alongside many of the country's top sports stars.

On December 29, the organizing committee for the 2025 National Outstanding Athlete and Coach Awards officially sent the nomination list to media agencies. This marks the 47th edition of the event honoring the best faces in Vietnamese sports during the year. According to the plan, at 8 a.m. on December 30, the voting will take place simultaneously in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City under the supervision of the Department of Physical Education and Sports.

Football continues to make a strong impression in this year’s nomination list, especially in the Outstanding Athlete category. Familiar names like Nguyễn Đình Bắc, Nguyễn Hoàng Đức, Nguyễn Quang Hải, Huỳnh Như, Thùy Trang, Bích Thùy, and Hải Yến all appear, demonstrating the special appeal and status of the king of sports.

For Đình Bắc personally, 2025 marks a major career breakthrough. The young striker was a standout for Vietnam’s U22 team in winning the SEA Games 33 gold medal, played a key role in the U23 Southeast Asia Championship 2025 victory, and most recently earned the 2025 Vietnamese Silver Ball award. This impressive streak means Đình Bắc is considered one of the leading candidates for the national top 10 Outstanding Athletes.

However, Đình Bắc’s path to glory is far from easy. He faces fierce competition from outstanding athletes in other sports, especially sharpshooter Trịnh Thu Vinh. At SEA Games 33, Thu Vinh won four individual and team gold medals, set three event records, and secured a mixed 10m air pistol gold at the 2025 Asian Cup. She is regarded as the toughest rival for football players in this year’s voting.

Additionally, Vietnamese sports also see competition from Nguyễn Thị Oanh, who won three athletics gold medals at SEA Games 33 and swimmer Nguyễn Huy Hoàng, who achieved numerous international and regional successes in 2025. Moreover, the nominee list includes young athletes from other sports: swimmers Nguyễn Thúy Hiền (born 2009), Võ Thị Mỹ Tiên (2005), Trần Văn Nguyễn Quốc (2008), and bowlers Nguyễn Tấn Đạt and Trần Hoàng Khôi (2009).

In the Outstanding Coach category, football maintains its dominance with coaches Kim Sang Sik, Mai Đức Chung, Đoàn Thị Kim Chi, and Nguyễn Đình Hoàng nominated. Notably, Coach Kim Sang Sik directly led Vietnam’s national team to win the 2024 ASEAN Cup, the U23 team to the 2025 Southeast Asia Championship title, and the U22 team to SEA Games 33 gold, making him a strong contender for this prestigious award.

Meanwhile, the Outstanding Sports Team category for 2025 continues to highlight football with two representatives: the Vietnam U22 team and the women's futsal team — both securing gold at SEA Games 33, confirming their leading status in regional sports.