Silver whistle Tran Dinh Thinh has returned 'home': Referee brothers told each other, let's try our best for Thinh's sake...

REFEREE WORKED WELL IN THE FIRST ROUNDS

At around 5:00 a.m. on August 3, at the Hanoi Athletics Palace, during a physical fitness test to prepare for the season, when he was about to complete the last run, referee Tran Dinh Thinh collapsed. Before passing out, he managed to say: "Let me finish running to the finish line...". The medical team actively provided first aid and then immediately took Referee Thinh to the hospital by ambulance (there were 4 ambulances on standby from the beginning of the test). Like other referees, before the physical fitness test, Mr. Thinh had to report to the VFF Medical Department for a health certificate. Referee Tran Dinh Thinh (43 years old) showed no signs of illness, his medical indicators were all good and he completed the first runs well without showing any signs of fatigue. But tragedy struck...

Photo: Kha Hoa

The sudden passing of TT Thinh in the context of the training course for supervision and TT at the beginning of the season still had to take place according to schedule because V-League will start on August 15. Yesterday morning, all colleagues had to suppress their emotions to make efforts and focus on completing theoretical and practical lessons. Of course, the pain of losing a friend and a colleague cannot be filled. A TT emotionally shared: "Mr. Thinh lived generously, emotionally, sociably and was loved by everyone. In terms of work, he was always trusted because of his good expertise, high responsibility and willingness to support colleagues. We told each other, for Thinh's sake, we must try harder".

VFF DISCUSSES WITH AFF ABOUT MEANINGFUL ACTION

VFF General Secretary Nguyen Van Phu said: "This is a great loss for Vietnamese football, especially for the national referee force. Mr. Tran Dinh Thinh is not only a professional and serious referee in his work, but is also loved by all his colleagues. His passing leaves a great void and pain. On behalf of VFF and the training program's organizing committee, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family, relatives and colleagues of Mr. Tran Dinh Thinh. VFF will coordinate with VPF Company to organize the funeral in the most solemn and meaningful way."

TT Tran Dinh Thinh was taken back to his hometown Dong Nai by VFF, VPF and his family. After 4 hours on August 5, the car arrived.

The Organizing Committee will hold a funeral for TT Thinh on August 7. It is known that VFF will discuss with the Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF - the organizer of the 2025 Southeast Asian women's football tournament at Viet Tri Stadium and Lach Tray Stadium) to hold a minute of silence in memory of TT Tran Dinh Thinh before the opening match of Group A between the Vietnamese women's team and the Cambodian team on August 6. The Organizing Committee of the National Super Cup match between Nam Dinh and Hanoi Police on August 9 is expected to hold a minute of silence in memory of the Silver Whistle of Vietnam in the 2024-2025 season (this is the match in which the whistle was originally planned to be TT Tran Dinh Thinh).