The Department of Physical Education and Sports needs to have a satisfactory answer about the controversy over the 800,000 VND meal that athletes do not eat enough. The management agency owes the sports industry and public opinion a clear conclusion about whether or not there is a situation where youth athletes receive a meal allowance of 320,000 VND/person/day, but in reality, they are just poor meals in both quality and quantity.
Public opinion "cooks rice" for athletes
The State's regime for young athletes is not high, but it is not low either. According to Circular No. 86/2020/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance, when training domestically, athletes of the National Youth Team are entitled to a meal allowance of 320,000 VND/person/day. This amount is allocated for the athletes' 3 main meals a day, which means that the average meal allowance for a national youth athlete is about 100,000 VND/meal.
A meal worth 800,000 VND for 8 people of the Vietnam youth table tennis team.
Although food prices in Hanoi are not cheap, 320,000 VND/person/day is certainly enough to build a decent menu, at least meeting the nutritional requirements. However, the actual meals that reach the athletes' mouths are a different story. The image of the 8-person meal of the National Youth Table Tennis Team that has been widely reported by the press and shared by the online community in recent days is unlikely to be worth 800,000 VND.
The photo and related content became material for the online community, from jokes to debates and discussions. Social networks appeared a trend of "cooking rice" for athletes, where people competed to see what kind of sumptuous feast they could cook with 800,000 VND.
The saying “food is the key to virtue” applies directly to sports. When it comes to physical fitness, diet and nutrition are the most important foundation. For young athletes who are still growing up and playing professional sports, the issue of meals is even more important.
The regime for athletes is clearly defined, but public opinion still has to "cook rice" for the sports industry.
Of course, that is just a symbolic story. The deeper issue that is worth dissecting and needs the attention of management agencies from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Department of Physical Training and Sports, and training centers and teams is the issue of managing and taking care of athletes as well as how to supervise to ensure the best conditions for the training process.
There must be a clear answer.
The controversy over the 800,000 VND meal did not stop at the meal. Mr. Bui Xuan Ha - the head coach of the National Youth Table Tennis Team who was recently suspended from training - was accused of collecting money from athletes outside of regulations and without transparency. The coach's explanation that he only "temporarily collected", "held for others", "returned at the end of the year" is not a satisfactory answer, answering the public's questions.
The online community and sports enthusiasts wonder if this story will happen in other teams and other sports? If we thoroughly check every meal in every sport and every athlete training center, how many 800,000 VND meals that are not enough to satisfy the hunger will be discovered? After this problem is resolved, how long will the teams be able to eat their fill?
The athlete's breakfast only has sticky rice and milk.
That is the question that sports managers must find a clear answer to. The Department of Sports and Physical Training listens to social criticism, but stopping the summoning of two coaches of the youth table tennis team is not the way to get to the bottom of the problem. If the explanation is not clear, and serious violations and embezzlement of the State budget are determined, the seriousness of the problem will be much greater.
The response from the governing bodies is not just a public announcement of the conclusions, but a response to the entire Vietnamese sports industry. There are many questions that need to be seriously reconsidered, such as whether the income and salary of coaches, especially at the youth level, are sufficient for them to focus fully on their work. Sacrifice and dedication are common in sports. However, athletes and coaches need to be guaranteed a full life, not to mention improved conditions.
On the part of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as well as the Department of Physical Training and Sports, the inspection of training centers under their management needs to be strengthened. Even the quantity for meals needs to be clearly established, depending on the nutrition to meet the needs of athletes.
In football, professional teams, managed by private businesses and corporations, still ensure very good food for players, with the amount of money even much lower than the regime of national youth teams.
Some professional clubs such as Hanoi FC, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong,... the food allowance for players is only around 180,000-220,000 VND/person/day.
The leader of a Northern football team said that managing prices, food inputs or food quantity is not difficult.
" The problem is whether it is drastic enough or not ," he said.
Phuong Anh
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