Incident during the national anthem ceremony at the match between U22 Vietnam and Laos

The organizing committee of host country Thailand did not play the national anthem before the match between U22 Vietnam and U22 Laos in the opening match of SEA Games 33 on the afternoon of December 3.

U22 Vietnam sings the national anthem "aha" - Photo: NGUYEN KHOI

The match between U22 Vietnam and U22 Laos (taking place at 4 p.m. on December 3) is the opening match of the men's football event of the 33rd SEA Games, which is also the first sporting event of the 2025 regional sports festival. However, the organizing committee of the host country Thailand had a serious incident during the national anthem ceremony.

According to the investigation, the sound system at Rajamangala Stadium was initially operating normally (playing the SEA Games 33 background music). However, after U22 Vietnam and U22 Laos entered the field to prepare for the national anthem ceremony (which took place about 10 minutes before the match), the sound system of the field suddenly stopped working.

Due to the lack of time to handle the problem, the organizers decided to let the players and coaches of both teams sing a cappella. The images and sounds of the national anthems of both teams and the fans on the field were clearly recorded and widely broadcast. This scene created a special feeling for the audience watching the match on television.

The mistake of the organizing committee in such an official event has affected the solemnity and national pride of the ceremony. This is a rare situation in an international match, almost the first time it has appeared in a SEA Games.

Tuoi Tre Online reporters contacted the leaders of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) but have not received a response.

The incident quickly sparked controversy on social media. There was much criticism from fans of the host country, Thailand, as this was not the first incident in football.

Before the 33rd SEA Games began, host Thailand mistakenly displayed the Vietnamese flag in the futsal content graphics.

In today's match (December 3) between U22 Vietnam and U22 Laos, the organizers also let many reporters not receive their press cards, so they could not enter the field to work.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/su-co-trong-nghi-thuc-quoc-ca-o-tran-u22-viet-nam-va-lao-20251203170020309.htm