A gala night for the 2015 Fair Play Awards was held in HCM City on February 24, honouring sportsmanship, honesty and fair-play on Vietnam’s football fields over the last year.

The highest prize went to player Abass Dieng, a Senegal native, from Becamex Binh Duong club.

In the 2015 National Cup final between Binh Duong and Hanoi T&T, Hanoi’s Thanh Hao and Abass had a nasty tackle that broke Abass’s leg.

Though in pain and lying on a stretcher, Abass Dieng still tried to wave to the crowd before being taken straight to hospital.

After the game, Thanh Hao visited Abass Dieng to express his sincere apology. However, Abass said that it was not Hao’s fault, but simply a lack of luck, and he encouraged Hao to continue playing football with peace of mind.

The noble act by Dieng Abass has been cheered and praised by fans and Vietnam football players.

The second prize went to the Vietnam national under-23 football team for giving the ‘sentiment jersey’ to player Tan Tai, who was out due to injury in the match against U23 Malaysia in SEA Games 28, to share the victory with their teammate.

Hai Phong Fans Club bagged the third prize; while player Nguyen Cong Phuong from Hoang Anh Gia Lai, who is currently on loan to play forward for Japanese club Mito HollyHock, and Hoang Yen, a fan from Vietnam Football Supporters, won the 4th.

In addition, the organisers also awarded the Fair Play Figure to the fan clubs of Song Lam Nghe An and Quang Ninh Coal for organising good deeds such as collecting garbage in the stands after the games, and raising money on the field to support locals affected by floods and other natural disasters.

Vo Quoc Thang, Chairman of the Board of Vietnam Professional Football JSC, was also honoured with contributions for Vietnam football.

This year’s event is the 4th so far held by the PLO.