What does the sports industry say?

On the morning of January 15th, news reports revealed that gymnast Pham Nhu Phuong had been cheated out of her prize money while still competing.

According to athlete Pham Nhu Phuong's account to Dan Tri newspaper , the incident began in June 2023, when she asked her head coach, Ms. NTD, for permission to visit her family in the United States at the end of the year.

Coach NTD demanded that Nhu Phuong achieve success at the 2023 National Artistic Gymnastics Championships before agreeing to let his student go to the US. However, even though Pham Nhu Phuong won 3 individual gold medals for the Hanoi team, the athlete recounted that Coach NTD did not report Nhu Phuong's trip to the US to the gymnastics leadership as promised.

Gymnast Pham Nhu Phuong

After receiving a disciplinary decision and being removed from the national gymnastics team's training roster for 2024, Pham Nhu Phuong retired at the age of 20. Speaking to Dan Tri newspaper, Pham Nhu Phuong confirmed that during her many years competing for the gymnastics team, she regularly had to give 10% of her prize money to the head coach.

Regarding some of the generous bonuses from sponsors, athlete Pham Nhu Phuong also recounted that she had to give a 30% commission to the head coach, which later increased to 50% from 2022 to the present.

Responding to the aforementioned controversy within the Vietnamese gymnastics team, the Department of Sports and Physical Education stated that it has received information published by the press and media. In an interview with Thanh Nien Newspaper, a leader of the Department of Sports and Physical Education affirmed that they will work with the Gymnastics Department, the head coach, and representatives of the Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center – where athlete Pham Nhu Phuong trains with coach NTD.

The head of the Department of Sports and Physical Education affirmed that they will clarify the information and strictly handle any violations found during athlete Pham Nhu Phuong's training and competition. Regarding athlete Pham Nhu Phuong's sudden retirement: They will handle the matter according to regulations if any violations are found.

“Immediately after the press reported on athlete Pham Nhu Phuong's unexpected retirement, we instructed the Gymnastics Department of the Department of Sports and Physical Education to coordinate with the Vietnam Gymnastics Federation to work with the national team's coaching staff. Based on the review and work with relevant departments, we will report to higher authorities for appropriate action, if any violations are found, in accordance with regulations, and will inform the press as soon as possible,” said Mr. Hoang Quoc Vinh, Head of the High-Performance Sports Department of the Department of Sports and Physical Education.

Pham Nhu Phuong is also a popular TikToker on social media. According to Phuong, everything stemmed from her trip to the US to visit friends and relatives last December. Afterward, she received a severe disciplinary action: she was removed from the national gymnastics team's training list for 2024 and sent back to her managing unit, the Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center. "My coaches said I violated discipline by going abroad without reporting to the gymnastics department and the center's board of directors. In fact, I had submitted a request and informed my two coaches about the trip, and they had approved it. I only went when I returned to the country and found out I had been disciplined," Pham Nhu Phuong stated.

Previously, the coach of the youth table tennis team was also involved in a scandal for allegedly embezzling money intended for athletes' meals.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/vu-vdv-tddc-to-bi-hlv-an-chan-tien-thuong-nganh-the-thao-noi-gi-185240115155553333.htm