Attending the opening ceremony of the 2nd Moscow Veterans Football Tournament were Mr. Le Quang Anh, Counselor-Consul, Head of the Community Affairs Committee of the Embassy of Vietnam in the Russian Federation; Mr. Tran Phu Thuan, Permanent Vice President of the Association of Vietnamese in the Russian Federation, Head of the Organizing Committee of the tournament, along with representatives of the Associations of Vietnamese Communities, Professional Associations and a large number of Vietnamese people in the Russian Federation. The ceremony was solemnly held with a flag-raising ceremony and a parade of the football teams.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Le Quang Anh, Counselor, Head of the Community Affairs Department – Embassy of Vietnam in Russia, praised the initiative to organize a meaningful tournament for football enthusiasts who are past their peak age. Mr. Le Quang Anh also reminded the athletes that the older they are, the healthier and more beautiful they will live. Each beautiful goal and each beautiful gesture in competition will be an example for athletes in other tournaments in the community, thereby contributing to connecting Vietnamese people in Russia, building an increasingly united and strong community, overcoming all difficulties and challenges in the new situation.

For his part, Mr. Tran Phu Thuan, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnamese Association in Russia, affirmed that each veteran player is an ambassador spreading the love of football. Many of these veteran players have participated in the Vietnamese community tournament in Russia since the 90s of the last century, and continue to practice and train many generations of young players, contributing to building the Vietnamese community football in Russia with the tradition and quality it has today.

According to the organizers, the teams will be divided into 2 groups, compete in a round robin, select the top 4 teams to compete in 2 semi-finals and the 2 semi-final winners will play in the final.

The award categories include the champion team will receive a cup, gold medal, and cash prize; the second-place team will receive a silver medal, a commemorative medal, and cash prize; the two third-place teams will receive a bronze medal, a commemorative medal, and cash prize. In addition, there are awards for individuals such as the top scorer, best goalkeeper, and oldest player of the tournament.

This year’s Veterans Tournament has 8 teams with more than 180 players, including FC Phuong Dong, FC Anh em Moscow, FC Song La Ha Tinh, FC Victoria, FC Sostra, FC Hai Duong, FC Thai Binh and FC Incentra. Thus, compared to the first season in 2022, this year’s Veterans Tournament has increased in the number of teams and athletes participating, showing the attraction and success of this tournament.