Vietnamese Sports: Don't let one fallen tree...

...lead to the clearing of the entire forest. Let's recall six years ago, after the incident of a flame tree uprooting and causing a fatality in the yard of Bach Dang Secondary School (Le Van Sy Street, Ho Chi Minh City), local department and agency leaders considered eradicating all old flame tree roots. Alas, what an "earth-shattering" idea, considering the flame tree has been associated with generations of students and has been celebrated in poetry for decades.

The worst had already happened, and fortunately, they did not cut down all the flame trees. Instead, they pruned and cared for them better to prevent them from falling.

Recently, following a fatal accident at a village wrestling festival at the beginning of the Lunar New Year, the Department of Sports had to impose strict martial law on freestyle and traditional wrestlers of the national team, prohibiting them from arbitrarily seeking "extra income." The national wrestling team has now resumed training and, of course, cannot "break the rules."

Every Lunar New Year, when athletes from professional sports in the national teams are released from camp, it's an excellent opportunity to boost their income. This applies not only to wrestling but also to volleyball (men's/women's), football, athletics, swimming, billiards & snooker... all are in the swing. Prize money from village festivals to small/large-scale amateur tournaments is now abundant. Star athletes can earn hundreds of millions of dong during the Spring Festival season.

Spring Festivals have expanded beyond village boundaries, offering entertainment with rewards, and can also serve to discover and recommend talents for professional sports. Village festivals today still retain an entertaining nature but are also tinged with commercialism. That's why professionals are drawn to them.

Take amateur football, commonly known as "phủi" matches, for example. Professional players, especially those labeled as national team members, hold great appeal. Having a few professionals or national team players in the lineup is the perfect adornment for team owners and localities. For instance, could Dinh Bac refuse if, upon returning to his hometown of Hung Nguyen, he was asked to play a couple of matches for the commune team?

Refusing would be seen as having a star complex, while agreeing to participate carries risks because football involves collisions, intense competition, potential injuries, and could also violate the regulations of his parent club, CAHN.

In reality, if one observes carefully, it's not uncommon to see professional athletes, even national team members in various sports, occasionally playing in amateur tournaments, not just during the Lunar New Year. It's not just about earning extra money or maintaining form during the team's break when it's not prohibited, but also about camaraderie. After all, aren't national team players also products of the grassroots system? Only a negligible few overly prioritize the need for "extra income," even though it's a legitimate need.

Professional footballers earn salaries of tens, even hundreds of millions, not including bonuses and under-the-table payments, which is a topic in itself. But athletes in other sports have very modest incomes. Taking on side jobs, let alone earning a little extra through short-term amateur tournaments, should be considered normal.

Last weekend, the V-League ball was still rolling, but in places from Trieu Khuc, Hanoi, to Bac Giang (formerly)... there were still plenty of professional players lacing up their boots. They have played professionally, some even worn the national team jersey, foreigners and locals alike...

Professional pitches reject them for various reasons, but the amateur pitches are attractive and invite them. Ultimately, it's for their livelihood and the passion flowing in their veins. In these times, being able to make a living from one's profession and passion is fortunate enough.

Professional sports at the club and national team levels are very different, with strict regulations varying in degree. But don't "lock the stable door after the horse has bolted"; don't cut down the whole forest because one tree falls.

Just like in youth football development, plant many saplings, sow many seeds, nurture them carefully, and you will eventually reap sweet fruit!