"King of the field" Nguyen Viet Duan from Thanh Mien (Hai Duong) won the silver whistle V-League 2023-2024

At the ceremony to honor individuals and groups with outstanding achievements in the 2023-2024 national professional football season on July 10, the Organizing Committee of the Vietnam National Football Championship (V-League) awarded the silver prize for excellent referee to referee Nguyen Viet Duan.

In the excellent golden whistle race, Nguyen Viet Duan came in just behind veteran referee Hoang Ngoc Ha from Hanoi and above referee Tran Dinh Thinh from Dong Nai.

In other categories: excellent coach, excellent assistant referee, excellent player, excellent young player, most beautiful goal, player with most goals, there was not a single person other than Hai Duong.

At the ceremony, a player from Hai Duong appeared on stage, that was striker Nguyen Van Toan, representing Nam Dinh Green Steel Club to receive the championship trophy. This is the first V-League championship at the club level for the striker from Thach Khoi (Hai Duong City) as well as his compatriot, teammate at Nam Dinh Green Steel, midfielder Duc Huy (Doan Tung Commune, Thanh Mien).

Nguyen Viet Duan, born in 1982, Doan Tung Commune (Thanh Mien) is the first referee from Hai Duong to officiate in the V-League - the highest professional football tournament in Vietnam. In the history of the V-League, there is only one other Hai Duong person, Nguyen Ngoc Ha (Hai Duong City), who participated in the tournament but in the role of assistant referee.

Nguyen Viet Duan graduated from the Central College of Physical Education and Sports 1 (Hanoi), was a physical education teacher at Lam Son Secondary School (Thanh Mien), a main referee at district-level football tournaments, and head coach of the Thanh Mien district children's football team.

In June 2010, Nguyen Viet Duan attended the national refereeing course organized by the Vietnam Football Federation. This was the turning point for Nguyen Viet Duan to become the "king of the field" today.