After a successful year, especially winning the SEA Games gold medal for the third time, being included in the list of 10 outstanding Culture, Sports and Tourism events of 2025 will be a great motivation for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team to prepare as best as possible for the continent's number one youth competition.
A huge morale boost.
In the vibrant flow of Vietnamese culture, sports, and tourism in 2025, the outstanding performance of the U22 Vietnam team to win the SEA Games 33 championship and their third gold medal at this event, being honored as one of the 10 outstanding cultural, sports, and tourism events of 2025, holds special significance. Even more noteworthy is that this is the only event from the sports sector included in this list – a well-deserved recognition of the efforts, resilience, and aspirations of Vietnamese youth football.
In the context of the increasingly fierce competition at the SEA Games, where rivals are investing heavily in youth football, the U22 Vietnam team's third-ever victory on the top podium is all the more valuable. It is a triumph of resilience, of continuity, and of faith in a path of sustainable development.
Being honored in the Top 10 outstanding cultural, sports, and tourism events of 2025 is not only a source of pride for football, but also a shared joy for Vietnamese sports. Amidst the significant achievements in culture and tourism , the selection of a sporting triumph demonstrates the powerful impact that the U22 Vietnam team has created.
For the players, this national recognition is an invaluable spiritual reward. It's an affirmation that the sweat on the training ground, the silently endured injuries, and the months spent away from family were not in vain. The fact that the SEA Games achievement is ranked alongside other significant cultural and tourism events shows that youth football not only brings home medals but also contributes to enhancing the image, status, and pride of the country.
More importantly, this honor will serve as a strong morale boost for the Vietnam U23 team (whose main force consists of the U22 players who just won the SEA Games 33) in the road ahead. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will soon be heading to Qatar for a training camp, a crucial preparation for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.
This is a higher-level competition, where the Vietnam U23 team will face top opponents from across the continent, possessing superior physical strength, speed, and skill. The confidence gained from their SEA Games 33 victory will further motivate the young players to train more seriously and rigorously.
Towards a new milestone
Following the glory of winning the SEA Games 33 gold medal, the Vietnam U23 team will not allow themselves to rest on their laurels. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his players quickly put aside their emotions and immediately embarked on a new phase: meticulously preparing for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship with a training camp in Qatar.
It was the choice of a team with great ambition, knowing where they stand and what they need to do to move forward. Coach Kim Sang-sik's message was very clear: victory only has meaning when it serves as a foundation for new progress. Therefore, the team's quick assembly and intensive training in Qatar demonstrate their seriousness and high level of determination.
“Winning the SEA Games is a great achievement at the moment, but with effort and dedication, the players will not stop there. The Vietnam U23 team cannot stand still but must continue to perform well in higher-level tournaments. At the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, the opponents will be much stronger, so we need to improve our weaknesses through training sessions and debriefing meetings,” Coach Kim Sang-sik affirmed.
Qatar is an ideal environment to test and elevate the Vietnamese U23 team. Here, young players will be honed in modern, high-intensity training conditions, and will have the opportunity to compete against opponents with superior physical strength, speed, and tactical thinking (the team will play a friendly match against the Syrian U23 team on December 30). These are necessary challenges if the Vietnamese U23 team wants to get closer to the standards of continental football.
The early training camp immediately after the 33rd SEA Games clearly demonstrated Coach Kim Sang-sik's scientific approach. The South Korean coach understood that success in regional competitions was not enough. For Vietnamese youth football to make a new mark, they must be willing to step out of their "comfort zone," accept challenges, and even unexpected results during preparation. Only then will the team accumulate the necessary resilience and practical experience.
For young players, the training camp in Qatar is a valuable opportunity to improve themselves and carry greater expectations from the fans. The pressure will increase, and the competition for a place in the team will be more intense. But it is precisely this serious and challenging training environment that will help them keep their feet on the ground, understanding that glory only comes to those who constantly strive.
More importantly, this thorough preparation shows that the Vietnam U23 team takes the tournament in Saudi Arabia very seriously and does not want to be just an "underdog" or a promising team. The coaching staff's goal is to build a team capable of making a clear mark and possessing the courage to compete on equal footing with their opponents.
With that spirit, fans have every right to expect that the Vietnam U23 team will not only participate in the upcoming tournament, but also leave a new, stronger, and more memorable mark on the regional football map.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/dong-luc-huong-den-muc-tieu-moi-193373.html
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