Vietnamese Golden Ball winner among 5 footballers detained for drug use

By Huong Giang May 8, 2024 | 01:21 am PT

The 2017 Vietnamese Golden Ball winner Dinh Thanh Trung plays for Hong Linh Ha Tinh at V. League. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Hung

The 2017 Vietnamese Golden Ball winner Dinh Thanh Trung and four other players of V. League Hong Linh Ha Tinh (HLHT) have been detained in connection with a drug use case at a hotel in Ha Tinh City.

Trung and midfielder Nguyen Trung Hoc, goalkeeper Duong Quang Tuan, midfielder Nguyen Ngoc Thang and defender Nguyen Van Truong, were detained by Ha Tinh police on Wednesday.

Five days ago, the authorities inspected a hotel in Ha Tinh City and discovered a group of 10 people includind the players were using banned substances.

All have been detained facing charges of organizing drug use.

"The case has been monitored by the authorities for a long time," a source said.

VnExpress has contacted some of the players but received no response.

On Wednesday HLHT will play round 17 of the 2023-2024 V-League against Binh Dinh FC. The four players that were detained are not on the registration list for the match.

Trung, a 36-year-old midfielder, also won the V. League title the same year with Quang Nam FC. Nguyen Ngoc Thang is a young talented defender of U23 Vietnam who has just played the U23 Asian Cup in Qatar. Nguyen Trung Hoc has been a key midfielder of HLHT for many years and has worn the captain's armband several times.

HLHT are currently 8th in V. League after 16 round with 20 points.