Women's national football teams have new head coach
Okiyama Masahiko, a Japanese coach with over three decades of experience in football, has been appointed as the new head coach of Vietnam's U17 and U20 women's football teams.
Okiyama Masahiko (R) has been appointed as the new head coach of Vietnam's U17 and U20 women's football teams. (Photo: Vietnam Football Federation)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) on March 10 officially announced the appointment of Okiyama Masahiko as the new head coach of the country’s U17 and U20 women's football teams, responsible for their training and development in preparation for upcoming international competitions.
Born on March 15, 1968, he is a Japanese coach with over three decades of experience in football. He previously served as the head coach of several national teams and clubs, including the Jordan women's national team from 2012 to 2014. He has also worked as a head coach at the Japan Football Association Women's Football Academy.
In addition, he has acted as a consultant for the Kanagawa women's team, helping young players develop both their skills and tactics. His achievements have earned him a strong reputation in the international women's football community.
This appointment marks a significant step for🌼 the VFF as it prepares for future internati🌜onal tournaments, with a focus on enhancing training quality and developing women's football talents for Vietnam./.
The proposed new assistant is Lee Jung-soo, a former defender for the Korean national team, who played from 2008 to 2013. Lee gained recognition during the 2010 World Cup, scoring two crucial goals that helped the RoK advance to the round of 16.
The Vietnamese women’s national football team wrapped up 2024 by ranking 37th in the latest FIFA World Rankings, 6th in Asia, and 1st in Southeast Asia.
The finals of the FAVIJA Champions Cup 2024, the largest Vietnamese football championship in Japan, took place in Saitama prefecture, featuring 32 top teams from seven regions of Kanto, Chubu, Tokai, Kansai, HoKuriku, Chugoku and Kyushu.
The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
