Dedicated to grassroots sports and volunteer work

“Whatever I do that benefits sentient beings and the people, I have served Buddhism.” That is the sentiment of monk Thich Minh Hao - Abbot of Hoi Long Pagoda (Tan An Ward, Tay Ninh Province), who is devoted to grassroots sports and volunteer work.

Venerable Thich Minh Hao awarded the First Prize at the 2025 Triangle Women's Football Tournament

Hoi Long Pagoda is located in Nhon Thanh Trung commune (old), a suburban commune. People in this commune mainly live on farming.

In the past, after a hard day's work, many people often gathered together to... have a few drinks. Sometimes people drank too much, affecting local security and order. Seeing this problem, monk Thich Minh Hao built 3 mini soccer fields (2 natural grass fields, 1 artificial field) for local youth to practice and play. Thereby, contributing to the locality's mobilization of people to practice sports to improve their health, gradually giving up bad habits.

Since the football field was built, many young people came to practice every afternoon. So, monk Thich Minh Hao established a 5-man football team named Hoi Long pagoda to compete with other teams as well as participate in tournaments organized by the pagoda. The football team has rules, discipline, and a spirit of fair play,... All expenses are sponsored by the abbot.

Monk Thich Minh Hao is also a regular sponsor of grassroots football tournaments in Tan An City (old) and gives gifts to people in difficult circumstances on holidays and Tet.

Venerable Thich Minh Hao is a regular sponsor of the Long An Television Cup Football Tournament.

On International Women's Day, Vietnamese Women's Day, Vietnamese Teachers' Day, and the anniversary of the Women's Union, he often organizes football tournaments to create a playground and develop the women's football movement. Among them, the Mekong Delta Women's Football Tournament (the first time in Can Tho) has been organized 4 times combined with charity gifts, gathering women's football teams from the (old) localities: Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh , Dong Thap, Can Tho, An Giang, Kien Giang; the 2025 Triangle Women's Football Tournament for students in the communes of Tam Vu, An Luc Long, Thuan My on July 7.

In addition, he also organized men's football tournaments on the anniversaries of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union's founding day, the Vietnam People's Army's founding day, etc., contributing to the development of grassroots sports in particular and the province's sports in general./.

Quang Vinh - Tran Anh Tuan

Source: https://baolongan.vn/het-long-vi-the-thao-phong-trao-va-cong-tac-thien-nguyen-a199610.html