On the morning of April 7, Vietnam’s 2025 Golden Ball winner Nguyen Hoang Duc joined Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper in presenting jackets and scholarships to students in Binh Loi Commune of Ho Chi Minh City.
The event is part of the community initiatives Thap sang niem tin - Vuot kho den truong (Lighting Faith – Overcoming Hardship to School) and Ao am den truong (Warm Coats for School) launched by Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper and implemented since early 2023. This year marks the first time the programs have been joined by footballers honored at the 2025 Vietnam Golden Ball Awards, who are participating as program ambassadors.
In recent years, football players have actively engaged in community work, from supporting shelters and building charity houses to visiting and assisting disadvantaged families, as well as coaching children at football fields and training centers during their first steps in the sport. As a result, when invited by the Vietnam Golden Ball Awards organizing committee and Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper to serve as ambassadors for the Ao am den truong program, players responded with strong enthusiasm.
The jacket and scholarship presentation ceremony was held at Binh Chanh Sports Talent High School in Ho Chi Minh City. It marks the first in person appearance of star midfielder Hoang Duc in the program, presenting jackets and scholarships worth a total of VND100 million to disadvantaged students.
In addition to his role as an ambassador for the Ao am den truong initiative, Hoang Duc also serves as a brand ambassador for several companies, including LPBank, a longtime partner of the Vietnam Golden Ball Awards.
Driven by the goal of encouraging academic perseverance and supporting students in their educational journeys, Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper launched the Thap sang niem tin - Vuot kho den truong program in 2023.
After three years, the program has mobilized more than VND32 billion, supporting 47 schools across 23 provinces and cities. Building on that impact, the Ao am den truong initiative was introduced to expand its scope, aiming to serve as a bridge of compassion and bring warmth to students facing difficult circumstances.
Since late 2025, nearly 10,000 jackets, along with scholarships and gifts, have been distributed to 33 schools in 10 provinces and cities nationwide.
