Military sports need to strive for even greater achievements, shining a light on the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers.

On the afternoon of December 16th, in Hanoi, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense held a meeting to encourage the high-performance sports forces of the Army. General Phan Van Giang, Member of the Political Bureau, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, and Minister of National Defense, attended and presided over the meeting.

Báo Nhân dân•16/12/2025

General Phan Van Giang, Member of the Political Bureau, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense, along with other heads of the Ministry of National Defense, pose for a photo with members of the The Cong-Viettel Football Club.

The military currently has 10 high-performance sports units, managing 39 sports teams, training and competing in 30 sports within the national sports competition system.

From the beginning of the year until now, the Army's high-performance sports force has competed in 181 domestic and international competitions, winning 2,085 medals of all kinds, including 672 gold medals, 652 silver medals, and 761 bronze medals, breaking 51 records. At the 33rd SEA Games, as of December 15th, Army athletes had won 24 medals (9 gold medals, 8 silver medals, and 7 bronze medals, breaking 1 record).

General Phan Van Giang, member of the Politburo , Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, and Minister of National Defense, delivered a directive speech.

On behalf of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission and the leadership of the Ministry of National Defense, General Phan Van Giang commended and congratulated the outstanding achievements of the officers, coaches, and athletes of the Army's high-performance sports force over the past years. The achievements of these athletes have brought joy, excitement, and a more enthusiastic spirit to work among officers and soldiers throughout the army.

General Phan Van Giang cited the example of two female heroes of the Army during wartime and peacetime: Hero of the People's Armed Forces Ngo Thi Tuyen, who, despite weighing only 42kg and being 1.4m tall, carried two ammunition boxes weighing 98kg due to her deep hatred of the enemy.

That is Hero of the People's Armed Forces Le Thi Hang, Director of Center C4, Viettel Aerospace Institute, with outstanding achievements in researching and mastering core missile technology (especially guidance systems), helping Vietnam become self-reliant in modern weapons.

Regarding men, the General mentioned Colonel Hoang Xuan Vinh, the first and only Vietnamese athlete to date to win a gold medal and break an Olympic record, with an outstanding shooting performance that even earned applause from his opponents.

General Phan Van Giang expressed his delight that, as of December 15th, military athletes had contributed approximately a quarter of the gold medals won by the Vietnamese sports delegation at the 33rd SEA Games. Besides the athletes, coaches, doctors, and support staff also contributed to the success of military sports. The General commended the role and responsibility of the agencies and units managing the sports teams in training and organizing competitions; and praised the practical support and resource sharing from businesses for high-performance military sports activities, such as the Military Industry and Telecommunications Group, the 19th Army Corps, the 20th Army Corps, and the Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank.

General Phan Van Giang, Member of the Political Bureau, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, and Minister of National Defense, presented gifts and commendations to sports units.

General Phan Van Giang suggested that, in the coming period, officers, coaches, and athletes should maintain and maximize their potential, strive their hardest, and shine brightest in the field of sports to be worthy of the title of "Ho Chi Minh's Soldiers."

Athletes need to share their successful experiences with teammates to achieve even greater success together, and the methods of athlete selection need to be significantly reformed. In particular, training programs should incorporate the experiences of others, not only domestic but also international. Honesty, integrity, and responsibility must be upheld, preventing any images that tarnish the essence of the Vietnam People's Army from infiltrating the training process.

General Phan Van Giang expressed his wish for the Army's high-performance sports force to strive even harder, conquering even more heights to live up to the trust and affection of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense, and all officers and soldiers of the entire army. The achievements in 2025 were good, but they serve as a stepping stone for athletes and coaches to achieve even greater success in 2026.

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