Opening of the 3rd Vietnam Youth Student Football Tournament Qualifiers at Ton Duc Thang University

On December 28, 2024, the opening ceremony of the 3rd Vietnam Youth Student Football Tournament Qualifiers 2025 - Group E (Ho Chi Minh City Region) took place at the stadium of Ton Duc Thang University.

The ceremony was attended by prominent figures, including Journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan, Editor-in-Chief of Thanh Nien Newspaper and Head of the Organizing Committee; Mr. Nguyen Minh Triet, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and President of the Central Committee of Vietnamese Student Association; Mr. Nguyen Xuan Vu, Vice President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF); Mr. Nguyen Nam Nhan, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Minh Tam, Deputy Director of Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City; Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Son, Vice President of Ton Duc Thang University, the host institution of the tournament; Mr. Pham Van Tai, CEO of THACO Group, the main sponsor; and the representatives from supporting organizations. The event attracted more than 1,000 supporters from universities across Ho Chi Minh City, who came to watch and cheer.

The tournament is organized by Thanh Nien Newspaper in collaboration with the Central Committee of Vietnamese Student Association and the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), under the direction of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee. The qualifiers for the tournament feature 67 teams divided into six regional groups: Hanoi, Central Coast, South-Central and Central Highlands, Southeast, Southwest, and Ho Chi Minh City. After the conclusion of the national qualifiers, 11 teams will advance, along with the host team, Ton Duc Thang University, to compete in the finals.

At the opening ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Minh Triet, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and President of the Central Committee of Vietnamese Student Association, said: “We can feel the excitement surrounding the tournament and have high hopes that the Vietnam Youth Student Football Tournament will elevate the professionalism of school sports.”

Delegates and guests presenting commemorative flags and shaking hands to encourage the teams before the tournament

Journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan, Editor-in-Chief of Thanh Nien Newspaper and Head of the Organizing Committee, expressed his hope that this tournament will create a healthy and beneficial platform for students nationwide, raise awareness about the importance of physical fitness, and promote the development of sports in general and school football in particular. He also expects that, through the scale of the tournament, football talents can be discovered from the universities to be nurtured for inclusion in national youth teams and trained to become key players representing Vietnam in international competitions.

Ton Duc Thang University (TDTU), a public university with extensive experience in hosting large-scale sports events, is co-organizing the 3rd Vietnam Youth Student Football Tournament – THACO Cup 2025. With its internationally standardized sports facilities, including a FIFA-standard football stadium with a capacity of over 7,000 seats, TDTU aims to contribute to promoting school sports, inspiring a love for football among students, and creating opportunities to identify and train young talents. These future talents could be nurtured and developed into professional athletes, ready to represent Vietnam on the global stage.

Right after the opening ceremony, the first three matches of Group E Qualifiers of the tournament took place at Ton Duc Thang University’s stadium. The matches featured the following pairings: Bach Khoa Saigon College versus University of Finance - Marketing; Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports versus Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport; and Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance versus Hung Vuong University.