Nguyen Thanh Duyen, a second-year Economic Law student at Ho Chi Minh University of Banking, was rewarded with 102 million dong (S$4,981) and an iPhone 17 Pro Max after she secured gold for esports at the recently concluded 2025 SEA Games in Thailand. According to Vietnamese media, Duyen became interested in esports in sixth grade, but her parents were initially hesitant to support her, fearing that she might neglect her studies. This worry was ultimately unfounded, as the 7.8 out of 10 GPA student qualified for university. Her father even travelled over 40km to attend a school ceremony where she was awarded the prize. VNExpress quoted him as saying: “The moment my daughter and her teammates won the gold medal was incredibly emotional for me.” Despite her prowess, Duyen plays way less than you might think. She limits gaming time to no more than three hours a day, and stops playing completely during exam periods. “Esports is still my passion, but mainly as a form of recreation. My priority is to graduate and work in the law or economics field,” she said. Image from Facebook. #fyp #gold #vietnam
