Culture - Sports

Minh Hai signs loan deal to play in Lao League

Nguyen Minh Hai, 19, will play for Lao Champasak club next year, following a one-year loan agreement between Hanoi T&T and the Lao League team.
Nguyen Minh Hai, 19, will play for Lao Champasak club next year,following a one-year loan agreement between Hanoi T&T and the LaoLeague team.

"It's an honour for me, as I become thefirst young player competing abroad. I hope to do a good job in a newcountry in order to gain experience for the future," Hai told Viet NamNews in an online interview earlier this week.

Hai,the first footballer from Hanoi T&T Young Football Training Centreto be chosen to play abroad, said he plans to leave for Laos next weekin preparation for playing with his new team. "I feel very nervous aboutmy debut wearing a new jersey, and life away from home," he said.

Born in Hanoi’s Dong Anh district, Hai began training for football atthe age of 13. He won the National Under-19 Football Championship in2009 and the National Under-21 Football Championship this year withHanoi T&T Young Football Training Centre team.

As scheduled, the young player will join with Lao League defendingchampions competing for the Asia Football Confederation (AFC) Cup in2014 and the domestic league starting in February.

In Vietnam’s football history, Le Huynh Duc was the first playercompeting abroad when he inked a one-year loan deal with Chinese LifanChongquin in 1995. Striker Nguyen Viet Thang participated in a shortcourse training with Portuguese Porto reserve team in 2005.

Also, top player Le Cong Vinh had a four-month loan with PortugueseLeixoes in 2009-10. He has just finished his five-month contract withJapanese Consadole Sapporo in the J-League 2.

Lastyear, Huynh Van Anh, former coach of the V-League's Hoang Anh Gia Laiteam, along with four Vietnamese players, signed a contract to take upwith the newly established Lao team Hoang Anh-Attapeu in Lao League.-VNA
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