Interesting V-League referee leading East Asia University of Technology: Unexpected unknown!

These days, in the increasingly cold air of Hanoi , the atmosphere of football is being heated up by referee Duc Nakata and students of Dong A University of Technology. The 3rd Vietnam Youth Student Football Tournament - 2025 THACO Cup (TNSV THACO Cup 2025) will be the first tournament that the Dong A University of Technology football team participates in, and it is also the first season to record the name of Mr. Do Anh Duc (familiarly known as Duc Nakata), a V-League referee, as the head coach of the student football team.

The referee team officiated the match at Pleiku Stadium, with referee Do Anh Duc (third from right) as the main referee.

Referee Do Anh Duc in a match at V-League

Photo: Minh Tran

Referee Duc Nakata - V-League referee will appear in the 3rd Vietnam Youth Student Football Tournament - 2025 THACO Cup as head coach of the East Asia University of Technology team.

Grown up from student football

Mr. Do Anh Duc shared: "I grew up playing student football, so I am very happy to be assigned to lead the students of Dong A University of Technology at the THACO Cup student football tournament, which is very professional, attractive, and impressive to professionals."

The V-League referee also said that he is currently a physicaleducation lecturer at the East Asia University of Technology. His passion for sports and football gives him the opportunity to be involved in football as a teacher. This is an opportunity that he cherishes very much.

Mr. Do Anh Duc graduated from the University of Water Resources and participated with the University of Water Resources student football team in the national student football tournament in 2008, 2011 and 2013. In 2008, the University of Water Resources team won second place. In 2011 and 2013, the University of Water Resources won the championship. Individually, player Do Anh Duc was awarded the best player award in the 2011 tournament.

Coach Do Anh Duc (left) is passionate and grew up from student football.

After graduating from the University of Water Resources and working in a number of jobs that were in line with his engineering training, Mr. Duc still did not feel truly happy. In 2017, he took the entrance exam to the Bac Ninh University of Physical Education and graduated with honors in the Physical Education major of this university. Passion for sports is not enough. Mr. Duc learns and constantly tries in every position he has experienced. He believes that whether he is an engineer, a football player on the field with the name Duc Nakata, or referee Do Anh Duc of the V-League, or a lecturer or a coach, he always needs to learn and try every day.

The football field is the second lecture hall.

An interesting thing is that in the qualifying round of the Vietnam Youth Student Football Tournament I - 2023 and II - 2024, Mr. Duc was a member of the coaching staff of the National Economics University football team (now National Economics University).

Coach Do Anh Duc said that as a passionate person who grew up from student football, he understands the value of football in particular and sports in general for the development of students. From there, he wishes to pass on this positive passion to today's youth.

"The football field helps students practice physical strength, develop their abilities and qualities comprehensively. Through the field, players can also demonstrate their culture and student image on the field. Besides professional knowledge, football helps each young person enhance their own value, helps them become more active, shine more, and keep up with the dynamic development of society," said coach Do Anh Duc.

Players of the East Asia University of Technology team in a training session with coach Do Anh Duc

At the same time, Mr. Duc said that as a physical education lecturer at the University of Technology of East Asia, as well as a coach of the student football team, he always guides the student players to play beautiful football, the football field must be the second lecture hall, where players learn and practice ethics and qualities. Before becoming a good player, each student must be a young man who lives beautifully and behaves beautifully on the field, because every image you show on the field reflects the image of the school you are attending.

The Dong A University of Technology football team is in the training period, preparing for the northern qualifying round of TNSV THACO Cup 2025. The team participates in a number of friendly matches with student football teams in Hanoi to increase competition, the players are trained in football techniques and discipline.

"Our team is supported and energized by the board of directors. I have only been with the team for about a month, everything is still new, but the players have youthful energy and are eager for a very professional student football tournament like the TNSV THACO Cup 2025, which is also an advantage. According to the roadmap, the football team of Dong A University of Technology needs about 3 years to build everything, the most important condition is the human factor, so all members of the team take their responsibilities seriously," Mr. Duc shared.

The qualifying round of the 3rd Vietnam Youth Student Football Tournament - 2025 THACO Cup has 66 teams divided into 6 groups competing according to geographical areas from December 28, 2024 to January 18, 2025. Specifically, including the northern region (from December 30, 2024 - January 10, 2025 at Thuy Loi University Stadium); the Central Coast region (from January 6 - January 12, 2025 at Military Zone 5 Stadium - Da Nang); the South Central and Central Highlands regions (January 10 - January 18, 2025 at Nha Trang University Stadium); the Southeast region (January 4 - January 12, 2025 at Bau Thanh Stadium, Ba Ria - Vung Tau); Southwestern region (January 8 - January 17, 2025 at Can Tho Stadium) and Ho Chi Minh City region (December 28, 2024 - January 15, 2025 at Ton Duc Thang University Stadium) to select 11 teams with the host team Ton Duc Thang University to compete in the final round of the tournament from March 1 - March 16, 2025.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thu-vi-trong-tai-v-league-dan-dat-truong-dh-cong-nghe-dong-a-an-so-bat-ngo-185241211150612942.htm