Year in review: Most outstanding sports events in Vietnam in 2023

VOV.VN - 2023 marks an impressive year for Vietnamese sports as local athletes recorded plenty of milestone achievements in both domestic and international competitions. Here are some of the most outstanding events of the year as selected by the Voice of Vietnam (VOV).

1. Top position at Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games)

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After the very successful SEA Games 31 which took place on home soil, Vietnam put in an impressive display at the 32nd edition of the regional sporting event held in Cambodia in May 2023. The local athletes won a total of 355 medals, including 136 gold medals, 28 more than the second-placed team Thailand, and broke 14 records at SEA Games 32.

This marks the third time in history that the country has finished in top position at the regional sporting competition. It also marks the first time that they have secured top place at the competition held outside of its territory.

2. Vietnamese women first compete at 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

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For the first time in history Vietnamese women qualified for the final round of the World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand where they fell into a group of death alongside 2019 World Cup champions United States, Portugal and the Netherlands. Though they conceded defeats in all three group matches, ending their World Cup dream, their fair play left an impressive imprint on spectators.

Also in 2023, head coach Mai Duc Chung set a record for being the oldest head coach of a national men’s or women’s football team at the FIFA World Cup at the age of 72.

3. U23s successfully defend championship title at AFF U23 Championship 2023

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The Vietnamese national under-23 team won the 2023 AFF U23 Championship, after a 6-5 penalty shootout victory against Indonesia.

The U23 side entered the final match with an all-win record from the group stage. After a goalless 120 minutes, the match had to be decided on penalties, with keeper Quan Van Chuan proving to be the hero after saving a penalty from Ernando Ari.

It was the second title in a row for the Vietnamese team after winning it in 2022, and it was also their best achievement in the four editions of this tournament. The other two winners were Thailand in 2005 and Indonesia in 2019.

4. V.League 1 2023/2024 schedule shifts to match international timetable

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During the historic 2023/2024 season, Vietnamese football switched to a schedule similar to the world's top football tournaments, starting in September and ending in May the following year.

The change came following recommendations by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and world football governing body FIFA to help Asian clubs and teams play in competitions held by these two agencies.

The Vietnam Professional Football Company (VPF) also piloted the application of the video assistant referee (VAR) service to matches, while clubs were permitted to sign contracts with one Vietnamese overseas player.

5. Hanoi Police FC win V.League 1 championship title on their debut performance

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Hanoi Police FC surprisingly won the V.League 1 2022/2023 season after getting promoted from V.League 2. The new comers, formerly known as Cong An Nhan Dan FC (Public Security), spent a huge amount of money recruiting more than 20 players from domestic and international football clubs, including Doan Van Hau, Vu Van Thanh, Nguyen Quang Hai, and Filip Nguyen, to complete their lineup.

In the 2022’2023 season, Hanoi Police FC and Hanoi FC got 38 points each, but the former clinched the championship title with goals on aggregate.

6. Philippe Troussier replaces Park Hang-seo to coach national teams

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Coach Park Hang-seo officially ended his contract with the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) on January 31 after five years. Park helped Vietnam win a silver medal at the 2018 Asian U23 Championship, get the AFF Cup 2018 trophy, enter the AFC Asian Cup 2019 quarterfinals, bag gold medals at the SEA Games 2019 and 2021, and progress to the final qualifying round of the World Cup 2022 for the first time. Vietnam also maintained their top position in Southeast Asia and kept the position as the longest-serving Southeast Asian country in FIFA’s top 100.

The VFF officially signed a three-year deal on February 27 with Philippe Troussier to take over as head coach of the national football from March 1 to July 31, 2026. The 67-year-old French tactician also set the ambitious goal of taking Vietnam to the FIFA World Cup in 2026, when the biggest men’s international football tournament plans to increase the number of participating teams to 48 instead of 32 at present.

7. Marksman Pham Quang Huy wins ASIAD 19 gold medal

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Shooter Pham Quang Huy made history for Vietnam as he grabbed the first gold medal at the 19th Asian Games (ASIAD 19) in Hangzhou, China, on September 27.

The athlete impressively scored 240.5 points in the men's 10m individual air pistol final, securing top position and claiming gold. This marks the first gold medal for Vietnamese shooting at the Asian Games. Previously, Vietnamese marksmen had only won five silver medals and 15 bronze medals at ASIAD.

Vietnam concluded the 19th Asian Games with three golds, five silvers, and 19 bronzes, finishing 21st in the medal tally. In Southeast Asia, Vietnam ranked sixth, behind Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore.