Football movement spreads from urban to the countryside

2K HPT Bao Loc is a football team that embodies unwavering dedication. Their love for football has united boys from all corners of the Bao Loc ward, forming a robust grassroots football team that is actively shaping the local football movement.

According to team captain Nguyen Tran Phong Son, 2K HPT Bao Loc currently has 17 members, all of whom reside in Bao Loc. The name '2K' refers to the fact that many members were born in the 2000s. The team comprises gardeners, restaurant servers, printing and advertising workers, but all are deeply committed to playing football. Members meet to play after work or on weekends, and regularly compete against other local teams on artificial turf. They also organize practices before essential matches, participate in local tournaments, and arrange friendly games with teams in the province.

Highlighting their youthful vigor and passion, 2K HPT Bao Loc became the group stage champion of the Lam Dong Talent Search 7-a-side Football Tournament held for the first time in 2025 in Bao Loc Province. Lien Nong Plant Protection Company and the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Lam Dong jointly organized the event. In the final held at Duc Trong, 12 teams competed, and 2K HPT Bao Loc secured the gold medal.

The team frequently experiences changes in its roster. When some members get married or become occupied with their careers, they often have to reduce their participation. This, however, opens the door for a younger generation to join the team.

In rural areas, an energetic football movement thrives on dirt pitches. The Moul Hang Dan team in Hamlet 13B, Hoa Bac Commune, home to the K’ho ethnic people, is one example. As team captain Hang Duong Bonh shares, Moul Hang Dan has been active for over 10 years and now has more than 20 members, mostly adolescents from Hamlet 13B and nearby hamlets. These family breadwinners work on coffee during the week and play football in their spare time. Though the area has a new artificial turf field, the team still prefers its familiar dirt ground.

Over its 10 years, Captain Bonh said members have consistently built a fund for district and later provincial tournaments. 'We love football, but we never dream too big. When there’s a suitable tournament, everyone contributes, and we join. Without sponsorship, we couldn’t afford distant, multi-day events,' Bonh shared. Thanks to Lien Nong Plant Protection Company’s support, the Moul Hang Dan team reached the finals of the first 7-a-side ‘Finding Talent’ tournament in 2025 and won the Fair Play Award.

One of the football teams we would like to highlight is 'Binh Thuan Oi,' recognized for its remarkable efforts. To participate in the first-ever 7-a-side 'Finding Talent' tournament organized by Lam Dong Province in August of this past Year in Duc Trong, the team assembled 20 members from Phan Thiet and nearby areas. Covering all their own expenses, they traveled more than 160 kilometers to compete in the multi-day event.

Nguyen Song Phuong Nam, a representative of Binh Thuan Oi, shared that since Lam Dong was newly established, Phan Thiet’s grassroots football has also aimed to keep pace with the province’s football activities. Although the team did not advance far in the finals, they were honored to participate and hope that the province will continue to organize grassroots tournaments so that teams like theirs have opportunities to join.