(VOVWORLD) -Midfielder Nguyen Hoang Duc of the national men’s football team, and goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh of the national women’s football team, were named winners of the 2023 Vietnam Golden Ball Awards at a ceremony in Hanoi on Monday evening.
 Silver Ball winner Pham Tuan Hai (left), Golden Ball winner Nguyen Hoang Duc (center), and Bronze Ball winner Dang Van Lam (right) (Photo: Ha Khanh/VOV) |
Hoang Duc, 26, made an outstanding performance in 2023, helping his football club Viettel finish second in the National Cup and third in the V-League. He scored five goals in V-League 2023, was chosen as one of the typical team and was voted the best player of the tournament. This is the second time in his career, Hoang Duc has won the Vietnam Golden Ball title, after the glory he achieved in 2021.
He said, “I am very happy and proud to receive this award for the second time. I think both Tuan Hai and I deserve this award. This award will motivate us and other Vietnamese football players to try harder to improve ourselves and contribute more to national football.”
 Goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh of the national women’s football team wins the Golden Ball. (Photo: Ha Khanh/VOV) |
The 2023 Vietnam Silver Ball and Bronze Ball titles were respectively awarded to striker Pham Tuan Hai of Hanoi FC, and goalkeeper Dang Van Lam of Binh Dinh FC.
In the women’s category, goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh of the national women’s football team took the top title after helping the national team win the gold medal at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) and making an impressive performance at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The 2023 Vietnam Silver Ball and Bronze Ball titles went to striker Huynh Nhu of the national team and midfielder Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy of the national team, respectively.
The best foreign player title went to Brazilian striker Rafaelson Bezerra Fernandes who scored 16 goals in 20 matches for Binh Dinh FC in the V-League 2023.
This year, for the first time, the Golden Ball award has an additional dedication category for former players Pham Thanh Luong and Tran Van Vu (futsal).
Journalist Nguyen Nhat, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Liberated Saigon newspaper, Head of the Organizing Committee of the tournament, said, “The voting produced very high quality results given the fierce competition for titles. I think the players are extremely deserving and they have had a season of trying their best. Vietnamese football is experiencing a period of brilliant development and the players have tried their best in the national team and the club jerseys.”