Kieu earned 695 points from the votes of 155 experts, coaches, referees, and football reporters.
She suffered an injury during the final against Thailand at the 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in 2019 but still battled throughout the 120 minutes of regular and extra time, which Vietnam won and were crowned champions.
Referee Ngo Duy Lan was second in the awards, after saving a player from swallowing his tongue following a collision in a 2019 V.League match.
Two police officers in the northern province of Nam Dinh also received recognition for helping a young child suffering a seizure among a sea of supporters at Thien Truong Stadium during another match of the domestic competition.
Also honoured were the U-22 men’s football team at the 30th SEA Games, two female fans who brought food to support the Vietnamese squads at the regional event in the Philippines, and the women’s team coach Mai Duc Chung.
The annual awards, initiated by the Ho Chi Minh City Law newspaper, were launched in 2012 and honour fairness in Vietnamese football./.
VNA/VNP
