CLOSING AND AWARDING CEREMONY OF THE 5TH U13 INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CUP VIETNAM-JAPAN 2023 - PVF WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP CUP
On the afternoon of December 17th (Sunday) at Binh Duong New City Football FIeld, the All-Star match took place, featuring two teams representing Vietnamese and Japanese-Malaysian football in the 5th U13 International Youth Cup Vietnam-Japan 2023. The Closing Ceremony and Award Ceremony of this youth tournament followed this.
The Closing Ceremony and Award Ceremony were attended by Mr. Ono Masuo - Consul General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Nguyen Loc Ha - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Duong Province, as well as representatives of various departments, representatives of the Organizing Committee, leaders of Becamex IDC Corporation, and delegates, team leaders, coaches, and athletes from youth football teams in Vietnam, Japan, and Malaysia.
The All-Star match just before the ceremony marked the end of the 5th season with a 3-1 victory for the "allies" of Japan-Malaysia over Vietnam.
Earlier on the morning of December 17th, in the final match between PVF and Hanoi FC, PVF excellently clinched the championship title with a 2-0 victory over Hanoi FC.
In the third-place playoff, Yokohama FC Tsurumi also secured a victory, defeating U13 Becamex Binh Duong with a score of 1-0.
The rankings of the participating teams in the 5th U13 International Youth Cup Vietnam-Japan 2023 are as follows:
- Champion: PVF
- Runner-up: Hanoi FC
- 3rd Place: Yokohama FC Tsurumi
- 4th Place: Becamex Binh Duong FC
- 5th Place: Kattaler Toyama
- 6th Place: Kawasaki Ikuta FC
- 7th Place: Phu Nhuan - Ho Chi Minh City FC
- 8th Place: Binh Phuoc FC
- 9th Place: Felda Academy
- 10th Place: Shimuzu S-Pulse
- 11th Place: Dong Thap FC
- 12th Place: Hue FC
In the individual awards category, player Nguyen Tan Nam from Becamex Binh Duong received the Best Goalkeeper title; the Top Scorer title went to Tran Manh Quan from Hanoi FC; and Kanemitsu Ren from Yokohama FC Tsurumi was awarded the Best Player title.
Speaking at the Closing Ceremony, the Consul General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City - Mr. Ono Masuo, expressed his belief that the tournament would significantly contribute to strengthening friendship and exchange between Japan and Vietnam, as well as Japan and ASEAN countries through football. This special season is part of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan, as well as the 50th anniversary of friendship between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Representing the tournament board of organizers, Mr. Ho Hong Thach expressed hope that, with this special milestone, the platform for young aspiring players dreaming of becoming national team members would continue to grow stronger and attract more international clubs to participate in future seasons. He especially noted the increasing attention from the media and fans.
The 5th season brought exciting matches for fans of both countries and provided valuable opportunities for exchange and interaction for the young players from the three nations. It is hoped that from this tournament, Vietnam and the participating countries can identify potential talents for their national teams in the future.