Midfielder Pham Thanh Luong won the ‘Golden Ball Award 2011’ at a ceremony hosted by Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday night.
This is the second time that Luong, midfielder captain of Hanoi Club and the national U23 Vietnam team, has received the award, the first time being in 2009.
Midfielder Nguyen Minh Phuong, winner of the Golden Ball Award 2010, said that Luong is truly worthy of the award for his contribution to the club and to the national football team as well as for his good manners in and outside the ground.
Silver Ball and Bronze Ball awards were given to midfielder Nguyen Trong Hoang of Song Lam Nghe An and Brazilian attacker Huynh Kesley Alves of Saigon FC.
Argentina’s Gaston Merlo of Da Nang was named the best foreign player and attacker Nguyen Van Quyet of Hanoi T&T was announced the best young player for the second time.
In the female team, goalkeeper Dang Thi Kieu Trinh of HCMC won the Golden Ball Award. This is the second time a goalkeeper has received the award. The first time was ten years back when Kim Hong of HCMC received the award.
The awards ceremony was attended by leaders of the Vietnam Football Federation, Vietnam Professional Football Company, HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, HCMC Labour Union and scores of football fans.
The Vietnam Golden Ball Awards has been organised annually since 1995 by Saigon Giai Phong Newspaper. Sports personalities are awarded based on votes by journalists from local sports media agencies in Vietnam.
