Referee Tran Dinh Thinh once had to change schools to pursue his passion.

The refereeing community mourned the sudden passing of referee Tran Dinh Thinh, and admired his dedication throughout his career.

Referee Tran Dinh Thinh passed away at the age of 43 - Photo: NGOC LE

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online on August 4 , former head of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) referee board - Mr. Duong Van Hien was heartbroken when referee Tran Dinh Thinh passed away.

"Since referee Tran Dinh Thinh entered the profession, he has been one of the most diligent and studious people to achieve the success he has today," said Mr. Hien.

Passion to be a referee

Mr. Duong Van Hien shared: I really love and respect referees in the provinces, because they are disadvantaged, do not have a local referee group to participate in, so there is no environment to exchange expertise regularly. In Dong Nai , there were only 1-2 people working as professional football referees.

Therefore, Tran Dinh Thinh rarely meets with national referees during the year. However, he practices very hard and makes up for his disadvantages compared to other referees.

"In addition to his work as a referee, Tran Dinh Thinh works as a physical education teacher. However, not everyone is given the opportunity to both teach and referee.

So when he first started his career, Thinh had to change schools because his old school did not create conditions for him to both teach and be a referee," said Mr. Hien.

Referee Tran Dinh Thinh is commented by his colleagues to have courage and will to improve - Photo: NGOC LE

Dear colleague

FIFA referee Nguyen Manh Hai, one of the famous V-League referees and of the same generation as referee Tran Dinh Thinh, expressed his condolences when his colleague passed away on August 4.

"Mr. Thinh is a brother that I really respect. Not only is he good at his job, he is also very brave and can handle pressure well because he is a bit arrogant like me from Hai Phong . The more pressure the match has, the more stubborn Mr. Thinh becomes.

In real life, Mr. Thinh was very cheerful and sociable. He was also a straightforward person, with clear likes and dislikes. The two of us worked together a lot, talked a lot and had many good memories. Now that he is no longer here, I am really in pain, very hurt," referee Manh Hai said.

Referee Tran Dinh Thinh, born in 1982, passed away at the age of 43 after taking a pre-season fitness test by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) on August 3. He was rushed to the emergency room but did not survive.

Referee Thinh has made many courageous decisions in his career as a referee in the V-League - Photo: NGOC LE

A referee who participated in the physical test with referee Tran Dinh Thinh on the morning of August 3, shared with Tuoi Tre Online :

"On the last lap, Mr. Thinh's legs were still able to run the entire way but he looked very tired. At that time, he ran with will and desire to do the job. Right after completing the test, Mr. Thinh was helped by the referees. The medical team arranged by VFF quickly brought oxygen tanks to support Mr. Thinh, but sadly, he did not survive."

The sudden passing of referee Tran Dinh Thinh left irreparable pain for his family and endless regret for Vietnamese football.

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NGOC LE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/trong-tai-tran-dinh-thinh-tung-phai-doi-truong-day-hoc-de-theo-duoi-dam-me-20250804134152584.htm