On May 26th, in Thanh Hoa, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism organized the Summer Opening Ceremony, Children's Olympic Day, and launched the nationwide swimming training and drowning prevention campaign for 2024. The program attracted the participation of 7,500 children, officials, instructors, and athletes from Thanh Hoa province and more than 30 other provinces and cities.
This is a national-scale event held annually in many provinces and cities across the country to raise awareness of self-protection, equip children with essential knowledge and skills such as first aid, swimming and diving skills, and drowning prevention, thereby helping them become more resilient physically and mentally. This year's launch ceremony was combined with attractive activities such as a mass gymnastics performance "Children's Fun and Healthy Day," various physical games, competitions, and sports tournaments for children to experience.
Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong emphasized that physical education and sports activities among young people and students play an extremely important role in building and developing human potential. During the period 2021-2023, the sports movement in schools, cultural centers, children's centers, and residential areas developed increasingly vibrantly, diversely, and richly, attracting a large number of children to participate in dozens of sports. This helped them form positive habits of daily exercise to improve motor skills, enhance health, stature, and physical fitness, build a safe and healthy lifestyle, and achieve holistic development.
Despite the achievements, many children nationwide still face difficulties and lack the right to play, recreation, and physical exercise. The number of child deaths due to drowning accidents remains high. This is due to a lack of facilities, sports fields, and playgrounds in many schools and communes, especially in remote areas. Furthermore, the attention given by local authorities and family members to children's right to play and recreation is still insufficient.
Through this launching ceremony, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requests that Party committees, governments, ministries, branches, mass organizations, social organizations, families, and schools continue to pay attention to developing the sports movement for young people. The Ministry calls on businesses, organizations, and individuals to join hands in contributing human and material resources to invest in facilities, equipment, sports tools, and swimming pools so that the entire population in general, and children in particular, have the opportunity to practice sports, improve their health, prevent and control diseases, and minimize drowning accidents.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism hopes that every citizen, including grandparents, parents, teachers, students, teenagers, and children, will not only actively participate in physical exercise and sports but also be active advocates, encouraging family members, relatives, and friends to practice and acquire knowledge and skills in swimming to prevent drowning.
Ms. Le Bui Thi Mai Uyen, Director of the MILO and Dairy Products division at Nestlé Vietnam, shared that after many years of partnering with the program, the company has observed significant changes as more and more children are equipped with skills to prevent drowning and develop their swimming talents. In the future, the company will continue to work together with agencies, departments, and parents to build a more resilient generation of young Vietnamese people, while simultaneously creating opportunities for children to hone their swimming skills and explore their potential through early sports training.
Nguyen Doan Nhat Tien, a student in class 3A2 at Ba Dinh Primary School in Thanh Hoa City, said, "We are very happy and excited to participate in many attractive activities such as: shuffledance group performance, sports folk dance, a competition to learn about safe swimming skills and drowning prevention, friendly sports competitions, and beneficial physical and mental games."
Over the years, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has coordinated and guided all 63 provinces and cities in implementing the Program on developing the physical education and sports movement for youth and students. During the period 2021-2023, the physical education and sports movement in schools, cultural centers, children's centers, and residential areas received significant attention and development with many vibrant and diverse activities.
Leading up to International Children's Day on June 1st and the Month of Action for Children, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in coordination with other departments and organizations, annually organizes the Summer Opening Ceremony, Children's Olympic Day, and launches a nationwide campaign to encourage swimming practice to prevent drowning. As a result, the percentage of children who know how to swim and possess knowledge and skills to prevent drowning increased from under 30% in 2016 to nearly 40% in 2022. The number of drowning deaths decreased from 3,000 children in 2015 to under 2,000 in 2023.
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