Mr. Sanh is very passionate about local football.
As one of the brightest talents in Dong Thap football, in 2004, Sanh was promoted to the first team along with Phan Thanh Binh, Doan Viet Cuong, and goalkeeper Bui Tan Truong at a young age. After that, Sanh successively played for teams in Kien Giang and Ben Tre provinces. “My family was struggling financially, but I had a strong passion for football, so I did everything I could to pursue it. At the age of 10, I joined the Dong Thap Provincial Football Club. At 16, I earned a starting position for the Dong Thap team,” Sanh recounted.
A bright future awaited him when tragedy struck. In 2015, on his way home for his father's memorial service, Sanh was involved in an accident, his head hitting the road hard, resulting in blindness. Despite the support of his teammates for treatment, Sanh had to sadly retire from his football career. Unable to play football, his love for the sport kept him connected to it in a unique way: coaching young football enthusiasts in his hometown. "After that tragedy, I tried learning Braille, blind massage... but I couldn't pursue any of those because my love for football was too great," Sanh confided.
In 2019, Mr. Sanh opened "Passion FC," teaching football to children in the border region of Hong Ngu. Later, "Passion FC" changed to the Phan Van Sanh Community Football Class, providing free football lessons to children. Despite his enthusiasm, Mr. Sanh faced many difficulties because he didn't gain the trust of parents, many of whom thought, "He's blind, how can he teach football?" Thanks to Mr. Sanh's efforts and perseverance, those prejudices gradually changed. The class initially had only 2-3 children, but gradually the number grew, and today he has trained over 1,000 children.
Mr. Sanh's youth football team consists mostly of underprivileged children, students from elementary to high school, who have a love for football. Although the class is free, it has its own specific criteria. To be accepted, students must have at least average academic performance and meet three "no" requirements: "no video games, no swearing, and no smoking." Depending on each child's schedule, Mr. Sanh arranges the time appropriately so they can practice football in the morning, afternoon, or evening.
During the class, the children are taught football techniques, from basic to advanced levels. On weekends, Mr. Sanh arranges friendly matches with local teams. Throughout the teaching process, Mr. Sanh is always creative in overcoming difficulties. He relies on audio guidance and tactile feedback to train the children, helping them grasp techniques and tactics. “Over the years, thanks to the help of former teammates like goalkeeper Tan Truong and others, the class has been maintained. The children also voluntarily contribute 5,000 VND each to cover the daily cost of renting the artificial turf field for practice.”
Thanks to Mr. Sanh's efforts and enthusiasm, the class size has consistently remained around 400 students, many of whom have had the opportunity to develop their passion for football and achieve significant success in local sports tournaments. Six out of 20 players in the Hong Ngu district's U13 football team are his students. With systematic training and superior skills, the district's team has won the Dong Thap province's U13 football championship three times in a row.
That achievement wouldn't have been possible without the role of this exceptional coach. Nguyen Ngoc Hoang, a member of the Phan Van Sanh football team at Thuong Phuoc 1B Primary School, said: "In my team, there are 10 students who have been trained by Coach Sanh from basic to advanced levels. Coach Sanh guides us like family, allowing us to freely pursue our passion for football."
In 2023, at the Dong Thap province's key talent football tournament with 53 participating teams, Mr. Sanh's team excellently won the championship. From this tournament, many talented 9-16 year old football players emerged, joining youth football teams not only at the district and provincial levels but also playing for the PVF (Vietnam Football Federation) Youth Football Training Center. "Every morning at 5-6 a.m., the children drive me to the football field, and in the afternoon they drive me back home. Their parents help with meals and drinks, so I am incredibly happy," Mr. Sanh said emotionally.
The story of Phan Van Sanh is not only a testament to the power of willpower and perseverance, but also an inspiration for those in similar circumstances. He has proven that even in the face of great challenges, it is still possible to achieve great things if one has a passionate heart and love for what they aspire to do.
Text and photos: NGUYEN TRINH
Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/chang-trai-mu-day-bong-da-a186092.html
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