The delegates attending SOMS-16 demonstrated a spirit of solidarity.
The event was attended by approximately 200 delegates, including ministers, deputy ministers, and heads of sports agencies from ASEAN countries and Timor Leste, as well as high-ranking officials in the regional sports sector.
Speaking at the opening session, Mr. Nguyen Danh Hoang Viet, Director General of the Vietnam Sports Department, emphasized the theme of this year's conference: "Orienting sports to contribute to sustainable development," reflecting ASEAN's shared vision of making sports a driving force for health, solidarity, and social development.
According to Mr. Nguyen Danh Hoang Viet, in recent years, ASEAN sports have achieved many important milestones: the SEA Games have been brilliantly successful, the mass sports movement has spread strongly, and many regional athletes have affirmed their position on the continental and world stages.
However, regional sports are also facing many new challenges, from social change and the pressure of international integration to the need to balance achievement with holistic development.
Mr. Nguyen Danh Hoang Viet, Director of the Vietnam Sports Department, delivered a speech at the ceremony.
Based on this experience, ASEAN countries will continue to strengthen cooperation, focusing on key objectives: developing sports for public health and welfare, improving the quality of life by encouraging people to regularly participate in sports, and promoting high-performance sports linked to science and technology to enhance the competitiveness of regional athletes.
Furthermore, preserving and promoting traditional sports is also considered an important direction for maintaining cultural identity in the context of global integration.
“Sports are not just about medals or achievements, but also about the expression of people, culture, and unity. With the spirit of a united and dynamic ASEAN, I believe that the solidarity of member states will help us build an innovative and sustainable ASEAN sports community, contributing to the common prosperity of the region,” Mr. Nguyen Danh Hoang Viet emphasized.
Immediately following the opening ceremony, SOMS-16 adopted an agenda with several notable items: a final review of the ASEAN Action Plan on Sport 2021-2025, discussions on the ASEAN-FIFA Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation, and an update on the progress of building the ASEAN High-Performance Sports Training Centre in Malaysia - a key project in elevating regional sports training and development.
Later that afternoon, the conference will celebrate ASEAN Sports Day and hear reports on preparations for the 33rd SEA Games and the 13th ASEAN Para Games in Thailand, two events considered benchmarks for the organizational capacity and solidarity of Southeast Asian sports.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/asean-huong-toi-phat-trien-the-thao-ben-vung-post1786710.tpo
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