Don't let public opinion "cook the meals" for the athletes.

The Department of Physical Education and Sports (TDTT) needs to provide a satisfactory answer regarding the controversy surrounding the 800,000 VND meal allowance that athletes received but which was insufficient to satisfy their hunger. The governing body owes the sports sector and the public a clear conclusion on whether or not young athletes are receiving a daily meal allowance of 320,000 VND per person, when in reality, these meals are meager in both quality and quantity.

Public opinion is like "cooking meals" for athletes.

The state's allowance for young athletes is not high, but it's not low either. According to Circular No. 86/2020/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance , when training domestically, athletes in the national youth team receive a daily allowance of 320,000 VND per person. This amount is allocated to the athletes' three main meals a day, meaning that the average meal allowance for a national youth team athlete is approximately 100,000 VND.

The meal cost 800,000 VND for 8 members of the Vietnamese youth table tennis team.

Although food prices in Hanoi aren't cheap, 320,000 VND per person per day is certainly enough to create a decent meal, at least one that provides sufficient nutrients. However, the reality of the meals served to athletes is a different story. The image, supposedly showing a meal for eight members of the National Youth Table Tennis Team, which has been widely reported in the media and shared on social media in recent days, could hardly be worth 800,000 VND.

The photo and related content became material for the online community, ranging from jokes to debates and discussions. A trend emerged on social media called "cooking meals" for athletes, where people competed to see what kind of lavish feast they could prepare with 800,000 VND.

The saying "you can't preach without practice" applies directly to the sports industry. Regarding physical fitness, diet and nutrition must be the most important foundation. For young athletes, who are in their growth spurt and training professionally, meal planning is even more crucial.

The system for athletes is clearly defined, but public opinion still has to "cook the meals" for the sports industry.

Of course, that's just a figurative story. The deeper issue, worthy of scrutiny and requiring attention from management agencies such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Department of Sports and Physical Education, and training centers and national teams, is how to manage and care for athletes, as well as supervise them to ensure the best conditions for their training.

There must be a clear answer.

The controversy surrounding the 800,000 VND meal doesn't end with just the food itself. Mr. Bui Xuan Ha – the head coach of the National Youth Table Tennis Team, who was recently suspended from training – is accused of collecting money from athletes outside of regulations and without transparency. His explanation that he only "temporarily collected," "held the money on behalf of," and "will return it at the end of the year" is not a satisfactory answer and doesn't address the public's concerns.

Netizens and sports enthusiasts are questioning whether this situation is happening in other teams and sports. If a comprehensive inspection of meals in each sport and athlete training program were conducted, how many meals costing 800,000 VND would be found to be insufficient? After this issue is resolved, how long will the teams be able to eat adequately?

The athletes' breakfast consisted only of sticky rice with gac fruit and milk.

That's a question sports administrators must find a clear answer to. The Department of Sports and Physical Education listens to social criticism, but suspending the two coaches of the youth table tennis team is not the way to get to the bottom of the issue. If the explanation is not clear, and serious violations and misappropriation of state funds are not identified, the seriousness of the problem will be much greater.

The response from the governing bodies is not just about publicly announcing the conclusions, but about providing feedback to the entire Vietnamese sports industry. Many questions need to be seriously reconsidered, such as whether the income and salaries of coaches, especially those at the youth level, are sufficient to allow them to fully concentrate on their work. Sacrifice and dedication are common in sports. However, athletes and coaches need to be guaranteed a decent standard of living, not to mention improved living conditions.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Department of Sports and Physical Education need to intensify inspections of training centers under their management. Furthermore, meal portions should be clearly defined, focusing on providing the necessary nutrition for athletes.

In football, professional teams, managed by private businesses and corporations, still provide very good meals for their players, at a cost even much lower than that of national youth teams.

Some professional clubs like Hanoi FC, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong, etc., provide players with meals costing only around 180,000-220,000 VND per person per day.

The leader of a northern football team said that managing prices, food supplies, or portion sizes for dishes is not difficult.

" The question is whether we are decisive enough ," he said.

Phuong Anh

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