The Golden Era: Vietnam's Growing Football Scene
By: Andres Congrains
Vietnam's pursuit of joining a FIFA World Cup has escalated in the past few years. Since 2018 when the U23s beat teams like Australia, Iraq, and Qatar; the country's soccer mania has gone on an uptrend spiral to such a point that ESPN called it a "Golden Generation." Even for the most recent World Cup qualifiers, Vietnam had a semi-successful run, reaching the third and final stage. This is another countenance of how Vietnam's modernization has become not only a story of economical success, but cultural revival. To understand the significance of their achievement it is important to mention that Vietnam's U23 last-minute defeat at the Changzhou Olympic Centre in China against Uzbekistan didn’t stop celebrations. Mai Huyen Chi gave faith in this to Esquire. It was a rather consecrating event where Vietnam beheld their achievements and reaffirmed it was only the beginning. A prediction that was validated this year with Vietnam’s U23s becoming 2022 AFF Champions.
Football is the most popular sport in Vietnam. After the 2002 World Cup fever, Vietnamese nationals found a strong patriotic sentiment in soccer that has only gotten bigger with time. The story of soccer achievements overlaps with that of expanding economy size, rising labour product, and improved quality of growth (Vietnam's income per capita now stands among middle-income countries). The Southeast Asian country has become an attractive destination for foreign investors, this being reflected in the increasing amount of international soccer clubs that bet on the local talent. It seems that Vietnam's moment is now. As one of the most promising economies for the years to come, it's been forecasted that Vietnam might be among the top 20 economies in the world by 2050 according to PWC. Such prediction can only make us wonder about Vietnamese football, and the opportunities to come.
UPP's commitment to "inspiring happiness, optimism, and hope", which is focused on uplifting and inspiring young people encounters a unique chance of generating positive social impact through football in Vietnam. We're focused on using the sports hype to promote a healthy lifestyle, training the brain and coordination, but also promoting teamwork and positive social values such as freedom, respect, fairness, and honor. We take special consideration on how the process of socializing, being part of a team, as well as facing adversity, is a cornerstone of the cultural and ethical foundation of a human being.
Our strategy is to generate and promote positive experiences through sports, which allows us to enable communication channels and address different societal issues. They say football reflects society and society reflects football. Social problems that permeate society (such as violence, crime, or substance abuse) can be prevented through communication, education, and furthermore building a backup through a community that is there for youth when most needed. Increasing social awareness is essential for common wellbeing.
UPP intends to be more than an organization, but rather a social network that functions like a family, that can harness societal issues and promote social wellbeing through human values. We’re proud to be in Vietnam and we’re here for the long haul. We welcome volunteers from all over the world and we thank the Vietnamese for welcoming us into their home, which has become our own.
