Martin Lo speaks from the heart
On August 2, midfielder Martin Lo decided to retire from football to change direction. The player, who is on the PVF-CAND roster, affirmed that he still loves football, but has made a different choice that is more suitable for him.
"21 years and it's over. Thank you football, for everything. The person Martin Lo has become and more importantly, the person Martin Lo chooses to become is shaped by the people I met in football and the experiences along the way," Martin Lo shared.
Martin Lo (number 10) in the U.23 Vietnam shirt
PHOTO: FBNV
The midfielder, born in 1997, recounted his 21-year journey pursuing the round ball, which helped shape his personality, character, and gave him valuable relationships with teammates and friends. "For 21 years, football has given me a place to express myself in a way that words cannot. As an introverted Asian boy, growing up in an environment where Asians were often overlooked and underrepresented in sports , football gave me a voice when I had no voice.
To everyone who has truly supported me, through my successes and failures, thank you. I know who you are, and I carry that support with me into the next chapter of my life. Some of those close to me may understand why I made this decision, but most do not, and that is okay with Martin Lo.
Because not many people have seen what I have seen, or lived in the world of football like I have lived. This is a personal decision for myself. My life goals and values are no longer suitable for the path that football is bringing," Martin Lo confided.
"Football will always be a part of Martin Lo's life, but it will no longer be his entire identity. Martin Lo leaves the field not with regret, but with love and gratitude for the art that Martin Lo once believed in," the PVF-CAND midfielder emphasized.
Martin Lo also recounted his conversation with Luong Xuan Truong, when he learned life lessons and felt more at ease with his decision to retire.
Martin Lo when he was playing for Hai Phong Club
PHOTO: FBNV
"Success is just a word people use to label what they think you have achieved. But only you can define what success really means to you. People can say I will fail as a football player, or I will fail in business.
But what I know for sure is this: I want to win in life. And I realize that my race to happiness, success, and fulfillment… is no longer the same race that everyone else is running,” Martin Lo shared.
A time of nostalgia
Martin Lo was born in 1997, is a Vietnamese-Australian midfielder. In 2018, Martin Lo returned to Vietnam from Australia to play for Pho Hien Club (now PVF-CAND) and won the runner-up position in the first division. However, the loss to Thanh Hoa in the play-off series caused Pho Hien to miss the V-League.
Martin Lo then moved to Hai Phong to play, then returned to PVF-CAND. The Vietnamese-American midfielder was called up by coach Park Hang-seo to the U.22 and U.23 Vietnam teams, before scoring against U.23 Myanmar in a friendly match in 2019.
However, Martin Lo did not make it to the 30th SEA Games (held in December 2019). The 28-year-old midfielder has good technique and dribbling ability, but his physical and strength limitations prevent him from competing.
Vietnamese football has seen many players retire before the age of 30, most recently central defender Tran Huu Dong Trieu, who graduated from the HAGL-JMG Academy and trained at Arsenal.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cuu-tien-ve-u23-viet-nam-martin-lo-giai-nghe-o-tuoi-28-toi-khong-he-nuoi-tiec-185250802114232563.htm
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