“This special chance is given to 1,000 individuals who want to directly get involved in the organization process and contribute to the success of the very first Formula One race in Vietnam,” a VMA representative said.

The volunteers will be in charge of 20 different positions on the track, including firefighting, providing medical assistance, weighing cars, cleaning tracks and responding to emergencies.

Since these positions play a vital role, all volunteers will have to strictly follow discipline and safety rules set by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) in order to ensure safety for all racers and minimize accidents on the track.

After selection, volunteers will take part in two training courses held in the country under the guidance of experts from the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS). All volunteers will be provided with uniforms, necessities, equipment and cards to enter certain areas of the race. After the event is over, volunteers will be awarded a certificate for their contribution to the F1 race.

The F1 Vietnam Grand Prix will take place for the first time in Vietnam in April 5, 2020. The race will be part of a seven-day extravaganza featuring parades, showcasing of racecars and other events. The streets will be closed off for four or five days before the race and traffic rerouted.

Construction of a track around the My Dinh Stadium began in March and is expected to take 12 months. It runs more than 5.5 kilometers with 22 corners, and will be the fourth to combine both a track and city streets, after Monaco, Singapore and Azerbaijan.

To register for selection to be a volunteer, go to vietnammotorsports.rosterfy.co.

“As a coach, I have certain pressures before each game, especially this World Cup qualification game with Thailand. But I have got used to this because I have been in many tournaments before,” Park said at a pre-match conference in Thammasat Stadium, Thailand, Wednesday.

He said he felt that the pressure to win will make things difficult for Thailand despite their preparations.

“I know Thailand have prepared carefully for this game. They have a new coach, but I think that this will be a challenging match for them, since they must win this game.”

Park said his players have had a great preparation and they will continue showing their spirit.

At the last encounter between the two teams, Vietnam beat Thailand 1-0 at the King’s Cup 2019 in June. Park said that although it was a small game, it had boosted the players’ confidence.

“In the past, Vietnam used to get bad results against Thailand. So that game can be considered as a transition. From now, the players will be more confident, not just for this game but also future clashes with Thailand,” Park said.

Thailand coach Akira Nishino broke his previous silence on Vietnam, saying: “Vietnam is a strong opponent. I know that they have made great improvements over the last few years and Thailand are facing some pressure before the game. But we will try to turn that pressure into motivation to play well. We are ready,” Nishino said.

Thailand coach Akira Nishino addresses the pre-match conference in Thailand, September 4, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong.

Vietnamese captain Que Ngoc Hai also expressed confidence ahead of the match.

“We’ve had 10 days to prepare for this game. Everything is ready at the moment and we all feel comfortable. In football, it’s hard to avoid collisions. The Vietnamese players won’t hesitate to make contact and they will prove their determination in the game,” Hai said.

Thailand were once the undisputed number one team in Southeast Asian football. But in the past few years, Vietnam has changed that with the Golden Dragons achieving impressive results in tournaments like the Asian Games, AFF Cup and the Asian Cup.

Vietnam has beaten Thailand at many levels since Park took over its reins. The U23 team beat Thailand 2-1 and 4-0 in their last two encounters.

The World Cup qualification match between Thailand and Vietnam will take place 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Thammasat University Stadium in Pathum Thani, Thailand, which has a capacity of 25,000. VnExpress will report the match live.

Erotic. Provocative. Offensive.

These words have been given legal meanings by a new decree that took effect on August 1.

However, many people are not clear what the meanings are, and some are concerned about the larger implications of their being interpreted subjectively.

The decree states that any act of practicing and competing in “erotic, provocative or offensive” sports activities that go against social norms, culture and customs of Vietnam will be fined VND5-10 million ($215-428) and the offender will be suspended from sports activities for three to six months.

Pham Xuan Phuc, deputy chief inspector of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: “We have noticed that some new sports have emerged in Vietnam that go against our morality and customs, like naked yoga.”

“A few sports like dancing have also been modified, and people have been wearing overly sexy dresses and dancing inappropriately. The main purpose of the new regulation is to deter such acts,” Phuc said.

Where’s the line?

Many people have said they are scratching their heads over what “erotic sports” really means.

One question that is doing the rounds now is: Aside obvious examples like naked yoga, would other sports that involve showing off body figures, such as beach volleyball, gymnastics, and fitness sports be listed as erotic and offensive?

“There are sports that require proper attires. When we compete or practice gymnastics without wearing tight clothes, we cannot execute the movements accurately. Or should we wear jeans to a gymnastics contest?,” said a gymnast.

Phuc conceded that the term “erotic sports” was difficult to define.

“There are no pornographic or erotic sports, just sports that contain erotic acts. When deciding on a violation, we will have to invite experts to review it carefully, to see if it’s inappropriate behavior or not.”

The reactions have been mixed. Some people have welcomed the new rule and others are saying the line between healthy, legal sports and the ‘erotic’ has been rendered thinner, which is not a good thing.

One account named Huu Vinh commented on Facebook: “I agree with this new regulation. People might get confused over this, but in fact when I go the gym, there are many people wearing clothes that are too sexy. It’s not appropriate and they do it on purpose. So I’d say the punishment is suitable.”

Truong Minh Sang, coach of Vietnam national gymnastics team, told local media: “I agree with the degree. But they should add to the regulation that athletes can only wear sexy outfits and show their body during training and competing.”

Another user named Ted Tran was confused by the new rule. “I think it’s a bit subjective. For example, if I go jogging in the park without my shirt on, do I get punished for that? I’m really confused about this regulation.”

Athletes and trainers who practice fitness sports, dancing and other similar sport forms have said they have not fully grasped the meaning of “erotic and provocative sports.”

Thuan, a 28-year-old fitness trainer, said showing off muscles was different from showing skin, and if the lawmakers know how to tell the difference, the regulation will not affect the sport.

“You see the fitness athletes out there, flexing their muscles while having very little clothes on, but did they do anything appropriate? As long as the rule of the sport allows them to do so, I think the athletes and the sport itself will not be affected by this new regulation. You cannot fine someone for not wearing suit to a fitness contest!”

Do Dinh Khang, an official with the High Performance Sports Department, also found the decree perplexing and unsuitable. “The beauty of the body, if it is put in the right place, needs to be applauded and promoted.”

Khang said he failed to understand how a judgment of ‘erotic’ can be based on just outfits people wear.

My, a 26-year-old dance-sport trainer in Hanoi, said the main purpose of the sport, apart from making people healthy, was to show off the beauty of the human body with sexy, strong and romantic dance moves, and if these are considered “erotic,” then dance-sport will not be dance-sport anymore.

“They don’t understand the nature of this sport. Some outfits and gestures in dance sports are just simply accentuating the beauty of the human body, but now, they can be misunderstood and called inappropriate.”

Nguyen Van Hai, Truong Dinh Hoang, Vu Thanh Dat, Tran Duc Tho and Nguyen Van Duong were selected by Saigon’s VSP Boxing Gym and Saigon Sports Club through a professional boxing event held in March.

The boxers will train with Australian legendary coach Dave Hedgcock and former International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Ben McCulloch.

South Korean have not named their athletes yet, however a representative of the tournaments said that they will impress the fans.

In 2018, South Korean boxers took part in a friendly tournament hosted by Vina Boxing Club in the southern province of Dong Nai.

According to plan, Vietnam will organize a boxing event in 2020 and South Korea will be invited.

The World Boxing Council (WBC) is one of four major boxing organizations alongside the IBF, the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO). In May, Truong Dinh Hoang knocked Thailand’s Arthait Bunphloeng out in the first round of WBA Asia Championship match.