A peaceful Tet holiday for Vietnam U.23 captain Khuat Van Khang: Keeping a special promise to his grandmother!

Vietnam U.23 captain Khuất Văn Khang attracted attention with a candid moment of him grilling skewers for his family's New Year's Eve dinner.

Vietnam U.23 captain Khuất Văn Khang helps his family grill meat for the New Year's Eve dinner.

Photo: Linh Nhi

Khuat Van Khang's peaceful Tet holiday

This Lunar New Year (Year of the Horse) will be very memorable for most of the Vietnamese U23 players, after they concluded their youth football careers with a gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games and, especially, a bronze medal at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. Among them, Khuất Văn Khang's family is perhaps the quietest, as they are mourning the death of his grandmother.

It's worth remembering that at the 33rd SEA Games, Khuất Văn Khang's grandmother passed away due to old age and ill health. Although the family tried to keep the information private to avoid affecting the morale of the U.23 Vietnam captain, he still found out through condolences from friends and relatives.

When Van Khang was still a young boy expressing his passion for football, it was his grandmother who voiced her support for his nascent dream, which has resulted in Vietnamese football now possessing such a versatile player.

Khuat Van Khang and coach Kim Sang-sik with the trophy from the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship.

Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang

Unable to fly back immediately to attend his grandmother's funeral due to national duty obligations, Van Khang asked a VFF member to take him to a temple near the U.23 Vietnam team's hotel in Bangkok to express his condolences and promise to bring success back as a gift to her.

Immediately after the Vietnam U23 team returned from Thailand with the SEA Games 33 gold medal, the first thing the midfielder from The Cong Viettel did was go straight back to his hometown in Phuc Tho commune (Hanoi), to light incense at his grandmother's altar in remembrance, and to "report" to her about the team's achievements.

This Lunar New Year was no different; since his wife had just passed away, Khuất Văn Khang's family didn't hold an overly extravagant celebration, mainly inviting relatives and neighbors to a warm meal with homemade food.

Khuat Van Khang will recharge his energy and inspiration with his family.

Photo: Linh Nhi

The captain of the Vietnam U23 team said: "This Lunar New Year of the Horse, I have mixed feelings of sadness and joy. Sad because this is the first Lunar New Year since my grandmother passed away. Even now, I still remember her, from her love to the words of encouragement she gave me."

But I'm also somewhat happy that I fulfilled my promise to my grandmother, having helped the Vietnam U23 team achieve the goal of winning the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games and then securing the bronze medal at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.

This is the result of many efforts and the concerted hard work of every member of the team, from players, coaching staff, medical personnel to VFF officials who have always been deeply involved, silently and wholeheartedly supporting them in everything from food and sleep to professional expertise…

Khuat Van Khang is an exemplary leader of the Vietnam U.23 team.

Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang

The peaceful and tranquil time at home is invaluable for me to recharge my energy and find inspiration from my family, so that when I return to The Cong Viettel Club, I can contribute even more strongly, closing the chapter of my youth player career and becoming a more complete player.

"Hopefully, in the journey of my future development, I will be able to perform better, mature more, and take even further steps, living up to the support of my family and grandmother, and bringing success to The Cong Viettel Club and the Vietnamese national team."

After spending the Lunar New Year with his family, Khuat Van Khang will soon rejoin the The Cong Viettel Club to prepare for the rescheduled match of Round 10 of the V-League 2025-2026 against the reigning champions Nam Dinh on February 24th at Hang Day Stadium (the 8th day of the Lunar New Year).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tet-binh-yen-cua-doi-truong-u23-viet-nam-khuat-van-khang-giu-loi-hua-dac-biet-voi-ba-185260217190634917.htm