The Department of Physical Education and Sports has a new move, the case of table tennis players complaining of hunger is exposed?

Over the past two days, social media has been abuzz with information that young athletes of the Vietnamese table tennis team are complaining of hunger and that their food money has been cut.

Meal worth 800 thousand for table tennis players. Photo: TP.

As soon as this information appeared, the Department of Physical Education and Sports held an urgent meeting with the Table Tennis Department and the coaching board of the national youth table tennis team on the afternoon of October 3 to clarify the incident.

“All relevant parties must be present at the meeting at the My Dinh National Sports Complex on the afternoon of October 3,” a leader of the Department of Physical Education and Sports affirmed.

According to initial investigation, the head coach of the Vietnam youth table tennis team, Mr. Bui Xuan Ha, denied all information related to the athletes not having enough to eat and their daily food allowance being cut.

"The head coach believes that the information reported by the press is incorrect. We also invited representatives of the athletes and they said the food was still delicious and plentiful," said the leader of the table tennis department.

Besides, the leader of table tennis revealed that coach Bui Xuan Ha said there was no such thing as forcing young athletes to transfer money to him every month.

Mr. Ha said that the athletes only transferred money to "ask me to keep it for them and will return it in full at the end of the year."

The Vietnam youth table tennis team currently has 12 members (10 athletes and 2 coaches). All members will be present at the meeting this afternoon to clarify the incident and avoid causing negative public opinion.

Previously, in a video shared on Tien Phong newspaper, an anonymous athlete confirmed that he and his teammates did not have enough to eat and often had to buy instant noodles or other snacks.

Even each month, athletes have to pay an additional amount to the coach from 1 to 1.5 million VND, this amount is called "extra food money".

According to regulations, each athlete of the national team and national youth team training domestically is entitled to a meal allowance of 320,000 VND/day.

Young athletes practicing at the My Dinh National Sports Complex (Hanoi) said that this amount is divided as follows: 100,000 VND for breakfast, 120,000 VND for lunch and 100,000 VND for dinner.

But according to the recorded images, the young athletes' breakfast consisted of only a package of sticky rice and a can of soft drink. While the other two meals had very limited food and were not enough to satisfy them.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/cuc-tdtt-vao-cuoc-vu-vdv-bong-ban-an-100-nghin-bua-van-doi-192231003155153829.htm