8th AMMS: Sports as a bridge of peace, friendship and sustainable development

On the morning of October 16 in Hanoi, the 8th ASEAN Sports Ministers Meeting (AMMS 8) officially opened under the chairmanship of Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung.

AMMS 8 brings together Ministers, Heads of Sports Delegations from 10 ASEAN member countries, Timor-Leste and representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat, to review sports cooperation for the 2021-2025 period and set directions for the new Action Plan 2026-2030.

Minister Nguyen Van Hung speaks at the conference

In his opening speech, Minister Nguyen Van Hung emphasized that sports are a bridge of peace , friendship and sustainable development, through which countries not only build a healthy community but also contribute to strengthening trust, solidarity and understanding among ASEAN peoples.

Reporting at the Conference, Ms. Le Thi Hoang Yen, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Sports Department, said that in the 2021-2025 period, ASEAN countries have completed about 94% of the Action Plan on Sports goals, including: Developing community sports, school sports, sports for people with disabilities and improving management and training capacity. Cooperation programs have been effectively implemented thanks to the support of dialogue partners such as: China, Japan, Korea, FIFA, WADA and many other international organizations....

These results contribute to affirming ASEAN as a cohesive, responsible community and oriented towards sustainable development through sports. In addition, Vietnam also emphasizes the role of sports in the national social welfare system, considering it an important tool to improve people's health, improve quality of life and spread a healthy lifestyle.

Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong speaks at the conference

On behalf of the Vietnamese delegation, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong presented a report summarizing the results of SOMS 16 and new initiatives. In it, he stated that Vietnam has completed the draft ASEAN-FIFA Memorandum of Understanding on Football Development and Sports Integrity, which is expected to be signed at the 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia in October 2025.

The ASEAN-WADA Memorandum of Understanding on Anti-Doping has also been approved by the countries, aiming to improve compliance capacity and standardize doping control processes in the region.

Regarding the orientation for 2026-2030, Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong proposed four key priorities: Innovation in training coaches and athletes; Application of digital transformation in management and organization of sports events; Promotion of sustainable and environmentally friendly sports; Strengthening the role of sports in building a united, peaceful and prosperous ASEAN community.

Overview of the conference

Also at the conference, representatives of countries made important contributions to promote regional sports in the coming time. Notably, Malaysia presented the initiative to build an ASEAN Center of Excellence for Sports Coaching. This is considered a strategic initiative to improve the capacity of coaches, standardize professional qualifications and increase the sharing of sports knowledge among member countries.

The AMMS 8 Conference highly agreed with Vietnam's proposals and assessed that new initiatives will contribute to perfecting the comprehensive ASEAN sports cooperation framework, creating a foundation for the 2026-2030 development period.

Speaking at the end of the morning session, Minister Nguyen Van Hung expressed his belief that AMMS 8 is not only a place to evaluate achievements, but also an opportunity for us to work towards a more prosperous ASEAN - where sports become a driving force for unity, development and spreading humanistic values, peace and happiness.

Minister Nguyen Van Hung once again affirmed the importance of sports in the three main pillars of ASEAN - politics - security, economy and culture - society. Mr. Nguyen Van Hung said that sports not only contribute to strengthening security and improving health but also act as a pillar connecting people to people, promoting understanding and friendship between nations.

"Sports not only contribute to health but also bring economic, cultural and social values. This is proof that sports is a field that converges all factors for comprehensive human development" - Minister Nguyen Van Hung emphasized.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/amms-lan-thu-8-the-thao-la-cau-noi-cua-hoa-binh-huu-nghi-va-phat-trien-ben-vung-2025101614443387.htm