Vietnamese athletes celebrate Tet away from home.

The Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026 is fast approaching, bringing with it an atmosphere of reunion and togetherness across the country. However, for many high-achieving athletes, this spring begins on the training grounds, in the stadiums, or on long overseas trips. With the goal of competing in the biggest continental competitions of 2026, especially the 2026 Asian Games, the Lunar New Year is no longer a stopping point, but merely a milestone in a rigorous and continuous preparation cycle.

The Vietnamese women's futsal team departs for Japan for a training camp in preparation for the Southeast Asian Women's Futsal Championship. Photo: VFF.

Competing and training throughout the Lunar New Year holiday.

2026 is identified as a pivotal year for Vietnamese sports with a series of major tournaments: the Women's Asian Cup, Asian Championships in various sports, the Youth Olympic qualifiers, and the pinnacle being the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. Therefore, national teams must develop long-term plans, rather than short-term preparations for individual tournaments.

Right from the last days of the lunar year, the Vietnamese women's futsal team departed for Japan for training on February 15th (the 28th day of the Lunar New Year). Coach Nguyen Dinh Hoang and his team will train throughout the Lunar New Year holiday before traveling to Thailand to participate in the 2026 Southeast Asian Women's Futsal Championship Finals.

Coach Nguyen Dinh Hoang shared: “We understand that Tet is a very important occasion for every Vietnamese family. But for the national team, this is a crucial period to perfect our playing style and improve our physical fitness. If we slack off for even a few days, the entire training plan could be affected. Our goal is not only the Southeast Asian tournament, but also to aim for continental competitions, which require much more thorough preparation.”

Similarly, the Vietnamese women's national football team had almost no full vacation. After a training camp and friendly matches in Shenzhen (China), the entire team returned to Vietnam on February 14th and only rested for two days (January 30th and February 1st) before regrouping on February 2nd. Their immediate goal is the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup Finals in Perth (Australia), but their longer-term goal is to qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup.

Vietnam women's national football team striker Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha is ready to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) away from home for the sake of her country. (Photo: VFF)

Vietnam women's national football team striker Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha expressed: "We've spent many years away from home during Tet (Lunar New Year), so we've gotten used to it. Our families always encourage us to try our best for the national team. When we set the goal of surpassing ourselves at the Asian Cup and getting closer to the World Cup, we know we have to accept personal sacrifices."

At the club level, the pace hasn't slowed down either. Hanoi Police FC just secured a resounding victory against Tampines Rovers in the first leg of the AFC Champions League Two 2025-2026 Round of 16. However, to secure a place in the quarter-finals, the team still has to play the second leg away from home on the second day of the Lunar New Year.

Nguyen Dinh Bac (wearing jersey number 9) and his teammates at Hanoi Police Club will be celebrating Tet away from home. Photo: Hanoi Police Club.

This means that many players like Quang Hai, Van Duc, Dinh Bac, etc., will not be able to celebrate New Year's Eve and the first days of the new year with their families. Training schedules will still be maintained regularly every afternoon, interspersed with tactical meetings and opponent analysis.

In the 2025-2026 V.League season, most clubs will only have a break of 3 to 4 days. Ninh Binh FC will have the latest break, with players only being given time off on the afternoon of the 29th of Tet (Lunar New Year). Hanoi FC,SHB Da Nang FC, Hong Linh Ha Tinh FC, Song Lam Nghe An FC, and The Cong Viettel FC will all quickly return to training on the 3rd or 4th of Tet to prepare for the National Cup quarter-finals and rescheduled matches.

Not only in football, the Vietnamese badminton team and key players from Ho Chi Minh City such as Hai Dang, Tien Minh, and Thuy Trang maintained two training sessions per day during Tet. On the 6th day of Tet, they departed to participate in the International Challenge in Singapore – an important stepping stone for the 2026 Asian competition system.

Tennis player Nguyen Hai Dang continued training during the Tet holiday. (Photo: TTVN)

Silent sacrifice for the continental goal.

Besides regional competitions, 2026 will also be marked by a series of major events: ASIAD 2026, the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, the Asian Beach Games, the Youth Olympics, and the 10th National Sports Games. Among these, ASIAD continues to be a key focus of investment for Vietnamese sports.

Sports with medal potential such as shooting, taekwondo, canoeing, rowing, sepak takraw, karate, women's volleyball, and athletics relay are all in a period of intense training at national training centers. The atmosphere at the National Sports Training Center in Hanoi in the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year) remains vibrant with shouts and the clanging of training equipment.

Hanoi boxing team coach Nguyen Nhu Cuong shared: “To reach peak performance at the right time for the ASIAD, we have to meticulously plan our training cycle. If there's a 5-7 day interruption, the process of building physical fitness and technical skills will be affected. The athletes all understand that big goals require great discipline.”

In the women's junior boxing team, athletes like Vo Lan Anh, Nguyen Thi Huyen, Le Thi Thuy Nhi, and Nguyen Thi Hong Yen are preparing for the 2026 U19 World Championships and the Youth Olympic qualifiers. For them, Tet (Lunar New Year) means extended physical training sessions and continuous technical practice instead of family reunions.

Boxer Vo Lan Anh confided: “Sometimes I feel a pang of sadness when I see my friends posting pictures of themselves returning home while I’m stuck at the training center. But thinking about my dream of standing on the continental medal podium and hearing the national anthem, I find more motivation. My family always says: your achievements are the most meaningful New Year's gift.”

That sacrifice was not loud or ostentatious. It was the quiet New Year's Eve nights in the dormitory, the simple farewell meals with comrades, the New Year's greetings sent via phone screen. But it was from those special New Year's days that the foundation for future success was persistently built.

High-performance sports leave no room for slack in preparation. When the goal is to compete in the most demanding continental competitions, every training session during the Lunar New Year holiday is as significant as a brick in the long journey.

And for Vietnamese athletes, the spring of 2026 is not only a time of transition between seasons, but also the beginning of a new journey of conquest – where glory is earned through sweat, discipline, and even Tet holidays spent away from home.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/tet-xa-nha-cua-van-dong-vien-viet-nam-khi-mua-xuan-bat-dau-tu-san-tap-733808.html