Vietnamese football referee dies after collapsing during fitness test in Hanoi

The incident occurred on Sunday at the Hanoi Athletics Palace, where referees were undergoing a mandatory physical assessment organized by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF).

The test consisted of a timed four-kilometer endurance run comprising ten laps.

Thinh collapsed during the seventh lap, displaying signs of distress before losing consciousness.

Emergency medical teams on-site administered immediate first aid and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation before taking him to a nearby hospital.

He was later transferred to Hong Ngoc Hospital in Hanoi, where he passed away at approximately 2:00 am on Monday despite intensive life-saving efforts.

The exact cause of death has not yet been determined.

The fitness test serves as a mandatory physical assessment under FIFA regulations, administered by VFF and VPF prior to each professional season.

Referees must pass both the endurance test and technical evaluations to be eligible for match officiating in the top-flight V-League 1.

The endurance run is widely recognized as one of the most strenuous physical demands placed on professional referees globally.

Born in 1982, Thinh began his refereeing career in 2010.

He was awarded the 'Bronze Whistle' in the 2023–24 V-League 1 season and the 'Silver Whistle' in the 2024–25 season.

Outside his officiating duties, he served as a physical education teacher at a middle school in southern Dong Nai Province, his hometown.

Vietnamese football previously suffered a similar loss in April 2018, when referee Duong Ngoc Tan from northern Yen Bai Province collapsed during a fitness test and died later at the age of 37.