U22 Vietnam goalkeeper and sadness in Singapore

"There were times when I was very sad. It's not because I didn't try as hard as the local goalkeepers. I was confident about competing with them for a place on the field, but because the club wanted to optimize the foreign player slot in a match, I needed to work harder and try harder to always stay in the best shape and wait for my chance," Ho Tung Han shared with Tri Thuc - Znews on April 29.

Ho Tung Han was born in 2003 in Da Nang city, and is the only Vietnamese football player currently playing abroad. He plays for Balestier Khalsa on loan from Da Nang Club, and has played in 2 matches in the National Cup and the Singapore Premier League as a foreign player.

However, after participating in the CFA Team China 2025 tournament with U22 Vietnam (but did not play any matches) in March, Tung Han suddenly "disappeared" from the Lion Island club's squad even though he was not injured and had no conflicts with the coaching staff and teammates.

Special test

For players who have only trained in a collective environment in youth teams like Ho Tung Han since childhood, Singaporean football has many strange things.

According to Tri Thuc - Znews , at Balestier Khalsa, players must complete a daily online survey (Daily Survey) within a few hours after the end of the training session. The survey questions are divided into scores to help the coaching staff understand the injury status as well as the player's emotions in order to arrange, manage and adjust the training plan to improve the quality of the training session.

After a few surveys, the coaching staff realized that they needed to proactively listen and answer Tung Han's questions. They met privately and encouraged the U22 Vietnam goalkeeper to keep the faith. Because Balestier Khalsa has 9 foreign players and the Singapore Premier League allows 5 of them to register each match, the coaching staff was forced to prioritize the goalkeeper position for locals.

Tung Han was encouraged by head coach Peter. Photo: Tung Han.

After being answered, Tung Han respected the coaching staff and continued to practice hard. Han believed that his efforts would be recognized and if given the opportunity, he would be rewarded.

Balestier Khalsa Club head coach Peter de Roo highly appreciates Tung Han's ability.

"I'm not surprised by Tung Han's performance, after witnessing his skills, efforts and attitude on the training ground," coach Peter shared after letting Tung Han start in 2 matches in March.

Tung Han's loan contract with the Singapore club started in January and will end at the end of May, one month from now. Whether or not he can continue to play in Singapore is important to Han in the process of competing for a position in the U22 Vietnam team before the SEA Games later this year.

All this goalkeeper needs to do is continue to work hard in every training session and patiently wait for the right time. The open-mindedness from the coaching staff and the maximum support from both the home club and the Singapore team will be the motivation for Tung Han in the upcoming journey.

"I went to Singapore with the determination to compete for competition opportunities, not to travel or do business," Tung Han affirmed.

Ho Tung Han tries hard to improve his foreign language skills to integrate with other foreign players in Singapore. Photo: Tung Han.

Differences in football culture

After nearly 4 months living in a foreign land, Ho Tung Han gradually adapted and settled into life abroad. Balestier Khalsa Club gave Han the opportunity to experience the different football environment of the lion island, including both positive and negative aspects.

According to Tri Thuc - ZNews , football teams in Singapore practice 4-5 times a week, mostly in the morning. Training schedules are designed based on the results of the players' daily roll call.

The reason is that most Singaporean players do not prioritize 100% of their daily time for football. Outside of practice hours, they often do other jobs to earn a living. Some work in finance, banking, some are students, lecturers, others are chefs, drivers.

Hariss Harun, the current captain of the Singapore national team, is also a real estate entrepreneur in addition to playing football. And recently, Harun was appointed Vice President of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).

To maintain his training intensity, Tung Han has to pay for a personal trainer for SGD 90 (about VND 1.7 million)/hour, or practice at home. Han said that although the salary he receives from Balestier Khalsa is low compared to the standard of living in Singapore, it is still enough to cover his living expenses and send a little home to his parents.

"The club pays for my apartment, and I live with the foreign players (because I am also a foreigner). After training sessions, the Singaporean players go home or go to work, so I don't have many opportunities to communicate with them. I only play with the foreign players. Sometimes, I am quite lonely. My family, friends and the President of Da Nang Club often ask about me and encourage me. I am grateful to everyone," Tung Han said.

Tung Han is the only Vietnamese player playing abroad. Photo: Balestier Khalsa .

Thanks to staying with foreign players, Tung Han learned many useful life skills.

"My foreign language skills are better than before. I can confidently go out alone. If I don't know a word, I ask my teammates how to write and pronounce it, then take notes," said the U22 Vietnam goalkeeper.

He continued: "I also learned how the players take care of themselves. For example, controlling the fat in their meals, or going to bed on time. Japanese players say that they all get 8-9 hours of sleep a day, and going to bed earlier is still better than going to bed late. The players here don't take a nap, but in return they go to bed very early in the evening. Those are all important details that I usually don't pay attention to or ignore."

Whether the trip abroad to Singapore is successful or not, it brings valuable lessons and experiences that not every U22 player has the opportunity to have like Ho Tung Han.

Source: https://znews.vn/thu-mon-u22-viet-nam-va-noi-buon-o-singapore-post1549811.html