Victory Cup 2026 launched to honour top athletes in 11 award categories

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s Victory Cup awards have launched their 10th edition, celebrating outstanding athletes, teams and coaches following a year of notable achievements at the 2026 Asian Games and other international competitions.

Announced in Hanoi on November 3, the nominations reflect the growing success and diversity of Vietnamese sport, with the country's athletes making their mark across football, martial arts, athletics, volleyball and other disciplines.

At the 20th Asian Games (ASIAD 20), Vietnam won three gold, three silver and 19 bronze medals. Highlights included the women’s quadrant sepak takraw team defending their title for a second consecutive Asian Games and the women's karate kata team retaining their championship.

Football was another major highlight in 2026. The senior men's team won the ASEAN Cup, while the men’s U17 side claimed the Southeast Asian championship and qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Striker Nguyen Dinh Bac stood out by winning both Top Scorer and Most Valuable Player awards at the ASEAN Cup.

Other international successes included the men’s volleyball team's triumph in the second leg of the SEA V. League and the world team title in three-cushion carom billiards won by Tran Quyet Chien and Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu.

Victory Cup 2026 features 11 award categories: Male Athlete of the Year; Female Athlete of the Year; Young Athlete of the Year; Coach of the Year; National Team of the Year; Team of the Year; Most Popular Athlete; Outstanding Para-athlete of the Year; Sports Image or Moment of the Year; Lifetime Achievement Award; and Outstanding Foreign Expert of the Year.

Among the notable nominees are striker Nguyen Dinh Bac, sepak takraw athlete Tran Thi Ngoc Yen, wushu fighter Duong Thuy Vi and football coach Kim Sang-sik.

Organised by Vietnam Cable Television Corporation (VTVcab), Vietcontent and the Vietnam Sports Administration, the Victory Cup is regarded as one of the country’s leading annual sports awards and is often dubbed the “Oscars of Vietnamese sport”.

Across its nine previous editions, the awards have honoured more than 100 outstanding individuals and teams. The 2026 edition has a total prize fund of VND750 million, with the Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year and Team of the Year categories each carrying a VND100 million prize.

Public voting for the Most Popular Athlete award will run from November 6 to December 31, 2026, with the result expected to be announced no earlier than January 1, 2027.

The Victory Cup 2026 gala is scheduled for mid-January 2027 and will be broadcast on VTVcab's ON Sports channel and its digital platforms.

Over the course of nine seasons, the Victory Cup has honoured more than 100 outstanding individuals, accompanying the development journey and significant milestones of Vietnamese sports. Many athletes have grown alongside the awards; including swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang honoured five times and weightlifter Le Van Cong five times.