After the Spring 2025 Arena of Valor Championship (ĐTDV) ended with a victory for Saigon Phantom, an unexpected incident occurred that caused a stir among the gaming community. During the award ceremony, Team Flash’s players were accused of refusing to accept the runner-up trophy, leading to numerous speculations and controversies. Many believed the players displayed disrespect towards the award and the organizing committee. However, the team’s manager spoke out to clarify the situation and “clear the names” of the players.
In response to the wave of criticism, Team Flash’s manager officially addressed the situation: “Claiming Team Flash in Arena of Valor refused to accept the runner-up trophy is completely fabricated,” asserted Đinh Hồng Phượng. On her personal page, she shared a lengthy explanation.
Here’s the verbatim status update from the female manager:
“After the defeat in game 7, the kids seemed to fall into another dimension. From the moment they lost, walked down from the Strategy Room, had to go back on stage to receive the awards, and then returned to the Waiting Room – it all felt like an unfinished dream. They could hardly hear me speaking, even though I was right next to them.
– Hey, look at me!
– Look at me!
– Come on, look at me!
– Look here…
And what did I get in response?
What I got in response were only dazed looks – literally. I even had to Google to make sure I was using this term correctly: “Dazed: a state of losing vitality or spirit; often due to fear or strong psychological shock.”
Each child had a different way of coping with the shock, but the common point was: they were completely disconnected from everything around them. Their bodies fell into a state of paralysis, no longer able to feel anything from the environment. I won’t go into detail about how each one handled it, but I affirm one thing: claiming Team Flash in Arena of Valor refused to accept the trophy is completely fabricated.
The kids were on stage for the first time, carrying the immense hopes of those who love them; proportional to the skepticism and scrutiny from curious, judging eyes. Besides being thoroughly rehearsed for the opening ceremony with a lift table, they were completely confused by everything happening on that stage. It was their first time competing on stage, especially on a big stage like Tiên Sơn; everything was truly new and somewhat overwhelming. Some even experienced ear ringing when they returned to the hotel – due to the sudden contrast between the soundproofed space (white noise – voice com) and the deafening cheers that seemed to blow the roof off the Sports Palace. Anyone who was present at Tiên Sơn can confirm how the atmosphere was that day to make this information more credible.”
Besides clarifying the situation, Team Flash’s manager also shared some behind-the-scenes details for the community to understand more about the circumstances. Accordingly, she revealed a quick exchange with these players:
– June: How were you up there? You should hold your head high! In a first-time situation like this, just… just go. I think you all played well today, just a little bit more, and we can work on this together!
– The little one: At that moment? I didn’t even know how I made it onto the stage! I didn’t hear anything anyone said then. I just thought about why we lost, where we lost, and why I was here. At that moment, I just wanted to go home!
– Another one: It was really bright up there and the sound was so loud; I didn’t know what was happening at that time. Then suddenly they said we didn’t want to accept…
“A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Some kids bowed their heads, some were dazed, some zoned out into a faraway dimension that no one could reach… They all gave their all for the final, and when the sadness hadn’t even dried in the tears of regret, they had to face completely unfounded accusations from people who didn’t know them, never interacted with them even for 5 seconds to understand each of their personalities. My little ones might not be skillful, as shown by what happened on stage just now. But they are definitely not the kind of kids to be disrespectful.
I am their sister. I love them very much and am always proud of them!
I love them anyway!
p/s: Thank you to Captain Maris and Coach Jinwoo for quickly accepting the award on behalf of the kids in that extremely confusing moment.
And thank you to the true Flazers – those who always love the kids unconditionally. Your affection is always an endless source of motivation for us to keep fighting.”
After the manager’s information was released, the gaming community reacted more positively. Many expressed sympathy and support for the players. However, some still felt that the act of not accepting the trophy was unprofessional and needed to learn from the experience.
The controversy surrounding the refusal to accept the trophy from FPT x Team Flash during the Spring 2025 ĐTDV finals has sparked much debate within the gaming community. However, through the explanation from Team Flash’s manager, the community has gained a better understanding of the situation and a more objective perspective.