VnExpress reported that Be Group, a Vietnamese raid-hailing company, has offered 2 billion Vietnamese dong (97 million Korean won) as prize money in addition to the company’s one-year free-ride coupons. PHG, a smart security firm, promised to give out 1,000 doorbells (worth 3.6 billion dong) that can be paired with smartphones to the heroic athletes and their families. The Vietnamese Exim Bank, TP Bank, the home appliance maker Asanzo, and the mobile network operator Vinaphone, have each offered 1 billion dong (about 49 billion won) for prize money.
“The Vietnamese Football Federation first collects most of the prize money offered to the national team, before handing it out to the players and coaching staff,” explained Manager Park Hang-seo. As to the separate prize money from Thaco Group, an automaker, Manager Park promised to make a full donation out of it. Thaco Group extended 2 billion dong for the players and 100,000 dollars for Manager Park (approximately 113 million won). “I would like to use the money for the development of Vietnamese football and the poor families in Vietnam,” said the South Korean manager of the Vietnamese national football team.
According to the news media outlets in Vietnam, the Vietnamese national football team has won over 8 billion dong (388 million won, excluding service prizes) in prize money from various companies. It appears that the total sum of bonus will increase further as more companies are willing to show their token of appreciation. Considering Vietnam’s per capita GDP last year, which stood at 2.66 million won, the scale of bonuses from the Vietnamese companies is truly massive.
On the back of the AFF Championship, Park Hang-seo’s value is also likely to skyrocket. It has been reported that Park’s contract with Vietnam will last until January 31, 2020, with an annual salary worth roughly 300 million won. A Vietnamese businessman even volunteered to help raise the salaries for Park. Doan Nguyen Duc, the CEO of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group, said he will help the football federation to provide higher salaries for Manager Park.
Yun-Cheol Jeong trigger@donga.com