Top players await Golden Ball result

Fan favourite: Former national team captain Nguyen Minh Phuong (right) plays in a friendly at Ha Noi's My Dinh National Stadium. — VNS Photo Quang Thang

HA NOI — More than 100 sports journalists, coaches and experts have cast their votes for their favourite men's and women's footballers in the prestigious Golden Ball contest. The outcome will be announced next week.

The vote, organised by Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper, is to select the best from a list of 29 candidates who also include young and foreign footballers.

V-League two-time champions Becamex Binh Duong dominate the list with three candidates – Nguyen Anh Duc, Nguyen Vu Phong and Huynh Quang Thanh.

Dong Tam Long An follow with two key players Phan Van Tai Em and Nguyen Minh Phuong.

On the women's list, announced by the organising committee on Tuesday, six Ha Noi players who helped the national team win the Southeast Asian Games in Laos for the fourth time are included.

Ha Minh Tuan of Da Nang and Nguyen Van Quyet of Viettel are promising candidates for the best young players of the year.

Argentinean goal poacher Gaston Merlo, the best striker in the national football V-League championship twice in a row, will face stronger competition from Brazilian Leandro De Oliveira, who moved to Binh Duong after a three-year contract with Hai Phong, Antonio Carlos of Dong Tam Long An, South African Kubheka Philam from Binh Duong and Nigerian Samson Kayode from Dong Thap.

Merlo, who helped Da Nang win the V-League title in 2009, won Best Foreign Player in the vote last year.

Last year, young playmaker Pham Thanh Luong from Ha Noi ACB won the men's Golden Ball, while HCM City's Doan Thi Kim Chi clinched the women's title for the fourth time

Striker Le Cong Vinh from Ha Noi T&T and former national forward Le Huynh Duc, who now coaches Da Nang, both won the Golden Ball three times in a row.

The new winners will be announced at an award ceremony in HCM City on March 28. — VNS

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Nominees announced for 2010 Vietnam Golden Ball

Pham Thanh Luong (C) receives the Vietnam Golden Ball title for the 2009 football season

Vietnam Golden Ball Award organizer, Saigon Giai Phong Newspaper, announced Tuesday the list of 35 nominees for the titles of best male footballer, best female, best U-21, and best foreigner in the year of 2010.

The selection of the list has been unanimously agreed upon by journalists from 17 sports media agencies in Vietnam. Selection is based on performances and conduct of morals during competitions last year.

Winners of each of the categories will be publicly announced in a ceremony to be held in late March in Ho Chi Minh City.

The list of nominees was sent to sports journalists, coaches and officials on Tuesday and it is planned the organizers will receive back the votes by March 10.

Now, strikers Le Huynh Duc and Le Cong Vinh top the honorable table with each winning the award three times in the past 15 years.

Male winners of Vietnam Golden Ball Awards from 1995-2009:

Le Huynh Duc (1995)

Vo Hoang Buu (1996)

Le Huynh Duc (1997)

Nguyen Hong Son (1998)

Tran Cong Minh (1999)

Nguyen Hong son (2000)

Vo Van Hanh (2001)

Le Huynh Duc (2002)

Pham Van Quyen (2003)

Le Cong Vinh (2004)

Phan Van Tai Em (2005)

Le Cong Vinh (2006)

Le Cong Vinh (2007)

Duong Hong Son (2008)

Pham Thanh Luong (2009)

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Football: Golden Whistle blows for Tri

FIFA-accredited referee Vo Minh Tri won the Golden Whistle award for
the best referee of the year following his outstanding performance in
the V-League last season.

Tri, 38, received 72 votes
with a total of 310 points, beating his colleague Vo Quang Vinh, who
came in second with 202 points.

Phung Dinh Dung of Hanoi bagged third place.

Following the announcement on Oct. 12, linesman Nguyen Ngoc Ha from Hai Duong took the Golden Flag with 341 points.

It's the second year in a row that Ha has won the title for best referee's assistant.

He was followed by Nguyen Phong Vu from Ha Tinh and Nguyen Hoang Minh
of Dong Nai, who finished second and third, respectively.

"Tri is a popular choice for the award. He always shows the experience
and skills of a FIFA referee," said chairman of the National Referee's
Council Nguyen Van Mui.

The 38-year-old was one of the youngest referees to be accredited by FIFA back in 2001.

Last year, Tri just won the Bronze Whistle.

The official awards ceremony will be held in Hanoi on Oct. 14./.

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Golden Whistle blows for Tri

HA NOI — FIFA-accredited referee Vo Minh Tri won the Golden Whistle award for the best referee of the year following his outstanding performance in the V-League last season.

Tri, 38, received 72 votes with a total of 310 points, beating his colleague Vo Quang Vinh, who came in second with 202 points.

Phung Dinh Dung of Ha Noi bagged third place.

Following the announcement yesterday, linesman Nguyen Ngoc Ha from Hai Duong took the Golden Flag with 341 points.

It's the second year in a row that Ha has won the title for best referee's assistant.

He was followed by Nguyen Phong Vu from Ha Tinh and Nguyen Hoang Minh of Dong Nai, who finished second and third, respectively.

"Tri is a popular choice for the award. He always shows the experience and skills of a FIFA referee," said chairman of the National Referee's Council Nguyen Van Mui.

The 38-year-old was one of the youngest referees to be accredited by FIFA back in 2001.

Last year, Tri just won the Bronze Whistle.

The official awards ceremony will be held in Ha Noi tomorrow. — VNS

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Officials await national awards

HA NOI — Vo Minh Tri and linesman Nguyen Ngoc Ha are favourites to win the Golden Whistle and Golden Flag awards this year following their outstanding performance in the V-League last season.

Both are among five short-listed candidates named by the National Referee Council on Sunday.

Tri, who won the Bronze Whistle last year, has no obvious rival as three-time winner Duong Van Hien has retired, Tran Khanh Hung retired at the end of this year, and FIFA-attested referee Dang Thanh Ha did not work this season due to injury.

Plaudits say Tri performed outstandingly this year, demonstrating judgement, skill, fitness and experience.

In recognition of Tri's ability, the Asian Football Confederation has called on his services at upcoming regional tournaments.

Meanwhile, the most likely contenders for the silver and bronze whistles are Vo Quang Vinh, Dao Van Cuong, Phung Dinh Dung and Nguyen Trong Thu. Thu, the youngest referee in contention, is in the running for the first time.

The Golden Flag is a more hotly contested affair. Although Hai Duong-based Ngoc Ha is the clear front runner, others in contention are Nguyen Phong Vu from Ha Tinh, followed by Chau Duc Thanh, Nguyen Hoang Minh and Nguyen Truong Xuan

One surprise contender is Xuan, who won the Bronze Flag in 2007 and Silver Flag in 2008. Xuan was absent from the short-list last year after a poor season.

Among the voters will be representatives from the Viet Nam Football Federation, sponsors, the referees council, professional referees, linesmen and journalists.

The winners will be announced in early next month. — VNS

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“Golden Moment” media photo exhibition opens

An exhibition of media photos entitled, “Golden Moment” was launched in
Hanoi on Sept. 15 by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Vietnam
Association of Photographic Artists.

On display are 92 photos selected from 8,307 entries, which competed at
the third annual media photo contest named “Golden Moment” from Sept.
15, 2009-Aug. 30, 2010.

At the opening ceremony of the exhibition, winners of the contest were also awarded.

Speaking
at the ceremony, VNA General Director Tran Mai Huong said the “Golden
Moment” exhibits depicted honestly and vividly events and activities
daily and hourly in every part of the country.

With over 8,000 entries by 1,172 photographers, this year’s contest achieved a record among photo contests, he said.

The
VNA leader also said that the “Golden Moment” media photo contest was
aimed at affirming the position of media photos in media activities in
particular and in the social life in general.

General Director Huong took this occasion to announce the launching of the fourth “Golden Moment” media photo contest.

One
first, one second, three third and four consolation prizes were
presented to single photos, while two first, two second, three third and
one consolation prize was awarded to groups of photos.

Vinaphone,
the country’s largest mobile phone service provider and the sponsor of
the contest, also presented awards to four photos taken with mobile
phones./.

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