Dedicated to grassroots sports and volunteer work

“Anything I do that benefits sentient beings and the people is a service to Buddhism.” That is the sentiment of monk Thich Minh Hao - Abbot of Hoi Long Pagoda (Tan An Ward, Tay Ninh Province), who is devoted to grassroots sports and volunteer work.

Master Thich Minh Hao awarded the first prize at the 2025 Triangle Women's Football Tournament

Hoi Long Pagoda is located in Nhon Thanh Trung commune (old), a suburban commune. People in this commune mainly live on farming.

In the past, after a hard day's work, many people often gathered together to have a few drinks. Sometimes people drank too much, affecting local security and order. Seeing this problem, monk Thich Minh Hao built 3 mini soccer fields (2 natural grass fields, 1 artificial field) for local youth to practice and play. Thereby, contributing to the locality's efforts to encourage people to practice sports to improve their health and gradually give up bad habits.

Since the soccer field was built, many young people came to practice every afternoon. So, monk Thich Minh Hao established a 5-person soccer team named Hoi Long Pagoda to compete with other soccer teams as well as participate in tournaments organized by the pagoda. The soccer team has rules, discipline, and the spirit of fair play... All expenses are sponsored by the abbot.

Master Thich Minh Hao is also a regular sponsor of grassroots football tournaments in Tan An City (old) and gives gifts to people in difficult circumstances on holidays and Tet.

Master Thich Minh Hao is a regular sponsor of the Long An Television Cup Football Tournament.

On International Women's Day, Vietnamese Women's Day, Vietnamese Teachers' Day, and the anniversary of the founding of the Women's Union, he often organizes football tournaments to create a playground and develop the women's football movement. Among them, we can mention the Mekong Delta Women's Football Tournament (the first time in Can Tho) which has been organized 4 times combined with charity gifts, gathering women's football teams from the (old) localities: Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh , Dong Thap, Can Tho, An Giang, Kien Giang; the 2025 Triangle Women's Football Tournament for students in the communes of Tam Vu, An Luc Long, Thuan My on July 7.

In addition, he also organized men's football tournaments on the anniversaries of the founding of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the founding of the Vietnam People's Army,... contributing to the development of grassroots sports in particular and the province's sports in general./.

Quang Vinh - Tran Anh Tuan

Source: https://baolongan.vn/het-long-vi-the-thao-phong-trao-va-cong-tac-thien-nguyen-a199610.html