Dinh Bac receives the Young Athlete of 2025 title, reveals a very special action he took after winning gold at the SEA Games 33.

At the Victory Cup awards gala held on the night of January 29th, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac was honored with the title of Young Athlete of the Year 2025, revealing the moment of the year when he put on the conical hat for coach Kim Sang-sik.

Dinh Bac during the moment of being honored at the 2025 Victory Cup.

Image: Screenshot

Dinh Bac was honored at the Victory Cup.

Striker Nguyen Dinh Bac continued his streak of success from 2025 into early 2026 when, on the night of January 29th, he was honored by the Victory Cup organizers in the category of Young Athlete of the Year.

This is well-deserved recognition for the heroes of the Vietnam U.22 and U.23 teams, after their significant contributions to bringing home a series of titles, including the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship, the SEA Games 33 gold medal, and the bronze medal and top scorer at the 2026 Asian U.23 Championship.

In the moment of being honored, Dinh Bac shared: "I am very happy and extremely proud to receive the prestigious Young Athlete of the Year 2025 award at the Victory Cup awards gala."

Dinh Bac's talent and ambition are being recognized.

Photo: Organizing Committee

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the leaders of the Hanoi Police Club, the coaching staff, and all the players who have always trusted, supported, and encouraged me to perform well at the club.

I would like to express my gratitude to the leaders of the Vietnam Football Federation, the coaching staff, and all the players who have always supported Bac in the tournaments over the past year with the Vietnam U.22, U.23, and national teams.

"This title will give me more confidence, motivate me to train even harder, and help me give my best for Vietnamese football."

Dinh Bac putting a pith helmet on coach Kim Sang-sik was a memorable moment in 2025.

Photo: Organizing Committee

During the exchange, Dinh Bac also shared his aspirations: "I think all the athletes, both those who came before us and those of our generation now, haven't changed much, because all of us athletes are fighting for the common goal of our country."

Personally, I hope that in 2026 I will strive to play regularly for Hanoi Police FC and the Vietnamese national team so that I can contribute to Vietnamese football."

During the Q&A session with the MC at the gala, Dinh Bac revealed a memorable moment after the SEA Games 33 final: when he put a pith helmet on coach Kim Sang-sik. The striker, born in 2004, revealed that he got the helmet from the fans.

Dinh Bac is the Young Athlete of the Year 2025.

Photo: Organizing Committee

"The pith helmet was widely used by the veterans in Vietnam. At that time, Coach Kim Sang-sik was a foreigner, so I wanted to present him with a pith helmet as a token of affection from the Vietnamese people to a foreigner working here, all for the common goal of the national team."

Also at the ceremony, Coach Kim Sang-sik received the award for Best Foreign Expert of the Year 2025. The title of Team of the Year went to the Vietnam U.22 team that won the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games, with players Khuất Văn Khang and Đình Bắc representing Vietnam at the awards ceremony.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dinh-bac-nhan-danh-hieu-vdv-tre-cua-nam-2025-bat-mi-muc-tieu-nam-2026-185260129221825918.htm