Vietnam U23 honored at the sports Oscar awards

9th Victory Cup Gala: The U22 team was selected as the “Team of the Year.”

On the evening of January 29, 2026, at Ho Guom Theater (Hanoi), the 9th Victory Cup Gala – 2025 edition – was held solemnly, celebrating the most outstanding individuals and teams in Vietnamese sports over the past year. The 11 prestigious categories of the nation’s top annual awards – often called the “Oscar of Vietnamese sports” – were officially announced.

Among the collective and individual awards, football was honored with four categories: Team of the Year (U22 team winning Gold at SEA Games 33); Best Foreign Expert of the Year (Coach Kim Sang Sik); Most Impressive Sports Image and Moment of the Year (Dinh Bac wearing a pith helmet for Coach Kim Sang Sik after the SEA Games 33 final); Young Athlete of the Year (Nguyen Dinh Bac, Vietnam U22/23 team).

With an impressive Gold Medal at SEA Games 33, the Vietnam U22 team was voted “Team of the Year.” Additionally, Coach Kim Sang Sik was honored as “Best Foreign Expert” after leading Vietnam’s football teams to victories in three consecutive tournaments in 2025: ASEAN Cup, U23 Southeast Asia Championship, and SEA Games 33.

Striker Nguyen Dinh Bac – only 21 years old and a standout figure in the U23 Southeast Asia Championship victory and SEA Games 33 Gold Medal win – was awarded Young Athlete of the Year. The player, currently with Hanoi Police Club, also contributed to the U22 Vietnam team’s success, which earned the Team of the Year title.

The moment when Nguyen Dinh Bac placed a pith helmet on Coach Kim Sang Sik during the thrilling celebration after beating U22 Thailand in the SEA Games 33 final was chosen as the Image and Moment of the Year. This scene was featured in the video “Dinh Bac’s Affection for Coach Kim Sang Sik” produced by the Vietnam Football Federation’s Communications Department.

According to the Organizing Committee, the final results were selected by a judging panel of 17 reputable managers, experts, and sports journalists through a strict, transparent process kept confidential until the gala announcement.

More than just an awards ceremony, the 2025 Victory Cup Gala also served as a distinctive cultural, artistic, and sports event, expected to become an annual celebration for those involved in Vietnamese sports.

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