Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong welcomed U23 Vietnam back after winning the Southeast Asian championship

VHO - On the night of July 30, the Vietnam U23 team officially returned to Hanoi after an emotional journey at the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship. The flight carrying coach Kim Sang-sik and his team landed at Noi Bai airport at 10:40 p.m., concluding the regional campaign with a convincing championship.

Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong presents flowers to coach Kim Sang-sik

Welcoming the team at the airport were Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong; leaders of the Department of Physical Training and Sports ; representatives of the Vietnam Football Federation.  

Right at the lobby of Noi Bai airport, Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong presented flowers, sent congratulations and praised the brave fighting spirit of the whole team. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his students received a warm welcome from industry leaders and fans present at the airport, in the context of the football atmosphere still hot after the dramatic final match with U23 Indonesia.

The Vietnam U23 team has returned after an impressive journey.

At this tournament, U23 Vietnam showed impressive performance to win the championship. This is the third consecutive time U23 Vietnam has won the regional championship, affirming the leading position of Vietnamese youth football in Southeast Asia.

Since the tournament returned in 2019, U23 Vietnam has participated four times and only once failed to reach the top podium – winning third place in Cambodia in 2019.

This achievement also marks a memorable milestone in the journey of coach Kim Sang-sik since leading the Vietnamese national team at all levels. In just over a year, the Korean coach has brought home two major titles: the 2024 ASEAN Cup championship and the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian championship - both on away matches.

Warm feelings will be the motivation for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team to move forward.

The record of winning all official tournaments is creating a positive and hopeful "Kim Sang-sik effect" in the hearts of Vietnamese football fans.

The return of U23 Vietnam not only brought with it the championship trophy, but also ignited a spirit of pride and great faith in the future of national football. The warm welcome at Noi Bai airport on the night of July 30 is clear evidence of a generation of young players maturing, ready to take on a new mission under the close support of sports management agencies, fans and long-term strategies in youth football training.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/thu-truong-hoang-dao-cuong-don-u23-viet-nam-tro-ve-sau-chien-tich-vo-dich-dong-nam-a-157834.html