The sadness of champions

From the past to the present, Vietnamese sports are not short of stories of athletes standing at the pinnacle of fame, but after retiring, they have to live a difficult and miserable life, making fans feel heartbroken. There have been stories of Vietnamese female athletes who have just won the SEA Games, returning home with their parents to sell goods at the market, or athletes who have reached the Southeast Asian or Asian level, but also have to work extra jobs to make a living such as being a shipper (delivery person), selling goods online, tutoring... Or in the past, a national champion had to work as a janitor, selling tickets, cleaning the stadium to find every penny to live on. All of this tells a reality, talented athletes when at the pinnacle of glory can achieve many outstanding achievements for the Fatherland, but not every athlete has a stable future after retiring from their career.

It is worth mentioning that sports are not among the high-income professions in society. Before retiring, athletes receive quite modest benefits. According to Decree No. 152/2018/ND-CP, athletes at the national team level receive a salary of 270,000 VND/day, while the salary for young athletes is 215,000 VND/day. In other words, the average monthly income of an athlete is about 8 million VND, while young athletes only receive about 6.45 million VND. That is the income when athletes are called up to the national team or national youth team. As for athletes in localities, according to general regulations of the state, the salary is also quite low. Localities with good budgets will allow athletes to receive some other allowances, but in general, it cannot help athletes get rich because of their profession. The life of athletes when they are at the peak of their career is quite difficult, let alone saving for the future. If athletes win medals at different levels (regional, Asian, world ), they will receive a bonus depending on their performance, but this bonus only partially compensates for the athlete's efforts, and is not enough to help athletes become rich.

The report of the Vietnam Sports and Physical Training Department clearly stated that, compared to the general level, in terms of salary and income, the salary of athletes and coaches in Vietnam is at a low level. The salary policy for athletes still has many limitations and shortcomings, which is that it does not take into account the salary policy and special professional allowances in the field of sports, is not suitable for reality, and lacks a specialized mechanism and policy to attract talent.

Low income causes athletes to face two consequences. Firstly, it is difficult to focus completely on competition, and they have to do many other jobs to maintain their passion. However, not all sports allow athletes to have time to earn extra income. There are sports that require continuous, long-term concentration such as football, athletes have to devote all their efforts, leading to no time or opportunity to do other jobs. Therefore, there are female players who quit their jobs to work as factory workers, or export labor... because at least the salary from other jobs is higher, or if equal, it also brings a less uncertain future.

- Ảnh 5. — Vietnam Sports Department believes that the salary of top athletes in Vietnam is not high compared to the general level of society.

Second, the meager source of income and bonuses from sports means that very few athletes can accumulate enough capital to change careers after retirement. Athletes who are diligent in saving, have a good family background or win a lot of bonuses can afford to open a gym, restaurant, cafe, do business or build their own brand.

However, not everyone has a smooth sailing after retirement. An athlete shared that due to insufficient nutrition from the kitchen, many people have to use their monthly salary and food money to order food and supplements from outside to ensure nutrition. A small detail, but it shows the hardship of athletes: everyone wants to save every penny with a limited income, but if they save too much, they will lose out, affect their performance, and reduce their bonus.

The Vietnam Sports and Physical Training Department clearly stated the issue: Although this type of labor is special, if we consider the career age, sports athletes are classified as one of the occupations with the shortest career years. On average, the competitive career of a sports athlete only lasts from 10 to 15 years, depending on the characteristics of each sport. Most athletes usually end their careers between the ages of 25 and 30, at a time when their physical strength shows signs of decline.

With the specific working time of athletes like that, the reality shows that after a period of striving and dedication, most athletes when leaving sports will have to start another job from the starting line to continue their life. Meanwhile, the special treatment and policies such as wages, bonuses, care for athletes during competition time and after reaching the age of achievement are still inadequate and inappropriate, leading to the athletes themselves, their families and public opinion not being assured, not considering sports as a career.

- Ảnh 8. — Sports is a special profession, requiring athletes not only talent but also hard training but not too long career.

And, the sadness of many athletes after retirement is not only the lack of money, but also the lack of knowledge, leading to the loss of a solid foundation to compete in the labor market and orient the right path for the future.

(to be continued)

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/noi-buon-cua-nhung-nha-vo-dich-185250610091633714.htm