The revival has been driven in part by Hoàng Anh Tuấn, director of Giang Nam One Member Limited Liability Company in Đức Cơ commune, who returned to his hometown in 2025 to help rebuild the local football scene after years of decline caused by limited organization and deteriorating facilities.
Tuấn, who was born and raised in Đức Cơ, moved to Hanoi in 2007 to study music at the Military University of Culture and Arts. After graduating in 2014, he remained at the university as a vocal instructor.
Alongside his music career, he developed a strong involvement in grassroots football, playing for FC Music, an amateur club in Hanoi, and later helping organize several seven-a-side football tournaments in the capital.
“With the local football scene showing signs of decline due to a lack of organizers and deteriorating, under-invested facilities, many teams hoped I would help revive and develop the seven-a-side football movement,” Tuấn said. “This would create a healthy playground, meeting the community’s need for sports and satisfying the passion of local players”.
In 2025, Tuấn invested more than 3 billion VND (about $115,000) in the construction of the Giang Nam artificial turf football complex in Đức Cơ commune. The 2,800-square-meter facility includes both seven-a-side and five-a-side pitches.
Seeking to create more opportunities for young players, Tuấn launched the inaugural Đức Cơ League (ĐCL S1- Góc Hà Nội Cup) in March 2026 at the Giang Nam football field.
The tournament features nearly 200 players from six grassroots clubs representing Đức Cơ, Ia Pnôn, Bàu Cạn, Ia Dom and Ia Krêl communes. Matches are played in a round-robin format on Saturday evenings with home-and-away fixtures, and the competition is scheduled to conclude on May 30.
Since its launch, the tournament has attracted large crowds and strong online engagement through livestreamed matches with commentary on social media platforms. Bùi Quang Thành, a player for Giang Nam FC, said the tournament has provided a competitive and meaningful environment for local athletes.
“I look forward to every match,” Thành said. “All participating teams have many skilled players, making for high-quality, competitive games. Beyond the results, the tournament is also a chance for us to learn from each other and strengthen our sense of unity”.
Rơ Lan Cửu, a player for Trại bò Quang Tá club from Ia Dom commune, said the weekend schedule has allowed players to balance work and football while strengthening relationships between teams.
“With determination and unity, our team is aiming for the championship”, he said.
At the end of April 2025, Tuấn also organized the Đức Cơ Ethnic Minority Football Club Championship for the An Phát Clean Rice Cup 2026, bringing together more than 130 players from eight grassroots teams in Đức Cơ and neighboring communes. Làng Sung Club from Ia Dơk commune won the tournament.
Rơ Mah Jưh, captain of Làng Sung Club, said he hoped the competition would continue in future years to help clubs connect and learn from one another.
“I hope the tournament will continue to be held regularly in the future, giving us more opportunities to interact, compete, and learn from each other, while also strengthening solidarity and bonds between clubs”, he said.
According to Lê Văn Nam of the Đức Cơ Commune Department of Culture and Society, the commune currently has six artificial turf football fields in operation, along with two community football training classes involving nearly 100 students.
“The involvement of organizations and individuals in organizing football tournaments helps promote the development of sports movements, while also meeting the community’s need for exercise and passion for sports,” Nam said. “In the coming time, the Department of Culture and Society will advise the commune People’s Committee to organize more children’s football tournaments, creating a healthy playground for the youth”.