Building trust, creating a fair playing field for Vietnamese golf

TPO - Vietnamese golf cannot develop without fairness, transparency and professionalism - that is the message throughout the conversation with PGA Duc Pham (Pham Minh Duc) and PGA Tran Le Duy Nhat. From the process of organizing WAGR scoring tournaments, selecting national teams, to training coaches and using the youth golf development fund, the shortcomings are causing many obstacles to the professionalization of Vietnamese golf.

Sir, to be recognized on the World Amateur Golf Rankings ( WAGR), what criteria must tournaments in Vietnam meet? If the rankings are dishonest, what will be the consequences?

PGA Duc Pham: The regulations for a tournament to be counted as WAGR points are clearly announced by WAGR, and must be approved before the tournament takes place for the results to be recognized. Unfortunately, currently, because many units can register to organize WAGR tournaments, there have been suspicions that some tournaments are organized in a "closed" form or do not widely disclose information. This raises many questions about transparency and fairness, especially in the community of young athletes. Having a playground is very positive, but if the organization is not open as the community is reflecting, the long-term consequences will negatively affect the healthy development of the movement.

When the rankings do not reflect the true abilities of athletes, the first consequence is a loss of motivation for serious players. They may lose the opportunity to participate in international tournaments or lose scholarships despite their outstanding abilities. The reputation of the entire domestic competition system will also be affected, and when there is a precedent, other units may also seek to manipulate the same, creating a negative cycle that weakens the entire amateur competition system.

The Only PGA : With the manipulated rankings, the ability and level of competition will not be symmetrical with the current ranking, which is also unfair to countries with high competition among young golfers. In my opinion, this comes from parents influenced by the "flexing culture" who always want their children to have a high world ranking even if their level is not up to par, which will also put a lot of pressure on those athletes because golfers always know where their ability is.

What do you think about the current process of selecting athletes for the national team?

PGA Duc Pham: In my opinion, the current process still has a lot of room for improvement. Although the number of excellent athletes is not large, the selection process should not be shortened in a non-transparent manner. The selection process needs to be public, with clear criteria, specific timing and transparent information to all potential candidates.

The domestic tournament system will certainly be an important basis for selection based on competition results, in which if the National Championships are considered more important than local tournaments, there should be a point system to calculate the "weight" of each tournament, so that athletes can grasp the competition schedule early and practice considering the peak of performance in the tournaments that are really important to them.

So what principles must the team selection criteria ensure to be fair and objective , sir ?

PGA Duc Pham : The selection of athletes should be based on a combination of factors: professional qualifications, competitive performance, experience and personal ethics. These factors should be reflected through specific achievements. It is necessary for the coaching board to have some "special" slots so as not to miss out on talent, but there must be clear limits to avoid creating negative public opinion. The entire selection process should be public and transparent, so that those selected are worthy and recognized by the community.

Although there is no concrete evidence yet, information about some athletes being favored is always controversial. One athlete being selected also means that another athlete will not be selected. Why do we send athletes to participate in tournaments? Without competition, there will be no experience in international competitions, and without experience, the opportunity to compete for high rankings will also be less. We need to think that if opportunities are given to the wrong people, it will have a significant impact on the remaining athletes on their development path.

How do you evaluate the current golf coach training in Vietnam? In your opinion, what role do professional qualifications play in the position of national team head coach?

PGA Duc Pham: Golf coach training in Vietnam still has many limitations. Organizing only level 1 classes is not enough, while the demand from the community is very clear. In addition, it is necessary to pay more attention to output quality and supplement soft skills training programs and advanced expertise. Countries with the world's top golfers all have a coach training system that is PGA members. They not only build long-term training programs, but each year there will be dozens of short courses and seminars with specialized topics conducted on both online and offline platforms. These programs are often free or low-cost with the main purpose of allowing coaches to update their professional knowledge and continuously improve their teaching skills. Coaches will earn points when attending these programs and through that there will be differences in the level of coaches. This is something we have not been able to do yet and can absolutely learn and implement soon.

The lack of professional qualifications of the national team head coach is a serious problem, requiring a review of the entire process of establishing a coaching board – from standards, responsibilities to the appointment mechanism. If the coach lacks expertise, the ability to maximize the potential of the athletes is almost impossible.

PGA Duy Nhat: In my opinion, the head coach should be someone with a PGA degree, or even better, someone with a lot of experience competing and winning international tournaments. That way, the coach can truly understand the situations and psychology of the athletes to share what is necessary at the right time, not just a coach to correct movements.

What is your view on transparency in disclosing budgets, sponsorships and support for young athletes, especially in the context of the Vietnam Golf Development Fund ?

PGA Duc Pham: When funds and resources are available, transparency is a must. Financial disclosure not only creates trust but also encourages other donors and sponsors to participate. Young athletes who are successful today are largely thanks to great sacrifices from their families. If the development fund does not operate effectively, all expectations will continue to be placed on the shoulders of each family, meaning the number of potential athletes reaching their potential will be very limited.

It is unfortunate that we are still having to discuss such issues. But if we do not face them, we will not improve. Lack of transparency makes sponsors lose trust, athletes skeptical and easily causes internal rifts. When information is spread by word of mouth and is inaccurate, it creates unnecessary conflicts and demotivates those who are passionate. Without trust, sports cannot develop sustainably.

PGA Duy Nhat : That should have been done since the youth golf fund was first established, because currently most parents still pay for the athletes' expenses. In my opinion, if the fund runs out, it will be easier to call on sponsors or parents to help. If it is not transparent, many organizations or individuals who want to sponsor will be hesitant because they do not know if their money will go to the athletes and be used for the right purpose.

In your opinion, what is the core to developing a professional and sustainable golf industry in Vietnam?

PGA Duc Pham: First , everything should be transparent, because that is the core foundation of trust.

Second , we should have a professional governance mechanism with a model of autonomous management with supervision. The leadership apparatus must not only have high expertise but also have the capacity to manage sports.

Third , Vietnam is in dire need of human resource training in the golf industry. This does not stop at training the best athletes, but will also include training highly qualified coaches, training professional managers, training people with expertise in maintenance, design, or club experts... all of which are necessary pieces of a sustainable golf industry.

Fourth , the competition system needs to be standardized, fair with a specific schedule. As of now, the number of amateur tournaments is very large and spontaneous, but the number of professional tournaments can be counted on the fingers. The tournament system should be divided into "levels" such as youth, amateur, amateur, professional, then we will develop both the quantity and quality of players.

PGA Duy Nhat : Vietnam needs to organize many tournaments because only competition can bring valuable experience to develop talent. I think TKG is creating a very good playground for pros and amateurs, even though they are foreign units. If 2-3 more large corporations do the same, athletes will have more playgrounds to practice every year.

Do you have any message for the young generation of athletes who are striving to pursue a professional career in a journey that is still full of hardships and challenges ?

PGA Duc Pham: Leave the adult things to the adults and focus on what you can do to the best of your ability to improve yourself. Play on the most challenging golf courses, practice in the harshest environments, and realize that the professional path will be very thorny, the hardships will be great, and the glory will be forever. Don't let outside disturbances affect your journey.

PGA Duy Nhat: Currently, golf in Vietnam is still in the process of development, I advise young athletes to compete domestically and go abroad to more competitive environments. Only by competing in those environments can they clearly demonstrate their level and use that as a basis for training and career development.

Thanks a lot!

Content: Trong Dat | Graphics: Kieu Tu

Source: https://tienphong.vn/xay-dung-niem-tin-tao-san-choi-cong-bang-cho-golf-viet-nam-post1748915.tpo