Vietnam Sports: Competing for SEA Games, aiming for ASIAD and Olympics

(NLDO) - What Vietnamese sports need to do after a year of many changes is a constant concern of managers, as Director of the Department of Sports and Physical Training Dang Ha Viet confided:

+ Reporter: Sir, in a year without many impressive highlights in high-performance sports except for the men's football gold medal at the ASEAN Cup, how do you evaluate the activities of Vietnamese sports in 2024?

- Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Ha Viet : The year 2024 has passed, marking a year of many changes in the world and in our country with mixed emotions of anxiety and joy. For the sports industry, this is also a very busy year. Up to this point, many results have been achieved, especially in the last days of 2024 and early 2025, the entire Vietnamese nation has lived in the joy of victory of the men's football team with the third time winning the Southeast Asian championship.

Associate Professor, Doctor, Director of the Department of Sports and Physical Training Dang Ha Viet - Photo: Dong Linh

Over the past year, under the leadership and direction of the Party Executive Committee, the leadership of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the coordination of agencies and units under the Ministry, the National Sports Federations and Associations and localities, the Department has actively implemented the assigned work plan in 2024, achieving many remarkable results.

Among them, there are 4 noteworthy highlights such as:

- Firstly , with the determination to create a breakthrough in the work of building and perfecting institutions, To concretize the guidelines, policies, and laws of the Party and State on the development of physical training and sports, in 2024, the Department consulted and coordinated with the Central Propaganda Department to issue 1 Conclusion of the Politburo ; submitted to the Government for issuance of 1 Decree; submitted to the Prime Minister for issuance of 1 Strategy... In addition, the sports sector has also focused on reviewing legal documents in the field of physical training and sports, developing a plan to summarize the implementation of the Law on Physical Training and Sports. In particular, 2 important documents, the Conclusion of the Politburo and the Strategy for the Development of Physical Training and Sports in Vietnam to 2030, with a vision to 2045, have contributed to unlocking resources, creating more foundations for breakthroughs and development of the sector.

Vietnam team wins ASEAN Cup 2024 - Photo: Thao Hoang

- Second , development work The movement of physical exercise and sports for all continues to develop deeply and widely throughout the country; the number of people who regularly exercise and play sports, the number of physical exercise and sports clubs is increasing. Many physical exercise and sports activities have created a big buzz, attracting many participants, such as the Safe Swimming Program, preventing drowning accidents, Olympic Running Day for the health of the whole people, marathon races, football, volleyball, pickleball, sports activities associated with traditional festivals... People have become more fully and deeply aware of the effects and roles of physical exercise and sports activities in improving health, preventing and fighting diseases and improving the quality of life, thereby more and more people voluntarily and consciously participate in physical exercise and sports activities. Through physical exercise and sports activities, it has contributed to improving the health, physical strength and stature of Vietnam, at the same time building a healthy lifestyle, improving the cultural and spiritual life of the people.

Olympic Running Day for Public Health is held nationwide - Photo: Dong Linh

- Third , the Vietnamese Paralympic Sports Delegation participating in the 2024 Paris Paralympics achieved the set target, with a bronze medal in the 49kg weightlifting category by athlete Le Van Cong. Le Van Cong's achievement helped the Vietnamese Paralympic Sports to win medals for the third consecutive Paralympics after 2016 and 2021. High achievements face many difficulties and challenges, with the most important task and goal being to have the largest number of athletes pass the qualifying round and strive for medals at the Paris Olympics. As a result, 16 athletes in 11 sports won places to attend the Olympics and although the set performance target was not achieved, the performance parameters of most athletes in Paris improved, specifically, shooter Trinh Thu Vinh completed her mission excellently with two finals in the 10m air pistol and 25m sport pistol events. In general, in terms of international competition results in 2024, Vietnamese Sports performed excellently, winning 1,365 medals (542 gold medals, 406 silver medals, 417 bronze medals), notably the national men's football team and women's futsal team winning the Southeast Asian championship; the women's volleyball team won the world bronze medal for the first time and the Asian Volleyball Cup gold medal for the second time, and many other outstanding achievements.

Athlete Le Van Cong wins bronze medal at Paralympics Paris 2024

- Fourthly, 2024 is also a year that marks the highlight of foreign affairs in sports. As the host, Vietnam successfully organized the 15th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (SOMS 15) which was recognized and highly appreciated by international friends.

+ In your opinion, what is the significance, influence and impact of the second consecutive unsuccessful Olympics on the development journey of Vietnamese sports?

- Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Ha Viet : Investing in the Olympics is a process. There are measures that can be implemented immediately, but there are things that require time and specific talented athletes to transform from "quantity" to "quality". The problem is that we have had a change in awareness about the direction for high-performance sports at the Conference "Orientation for the development of high-performance sports to 2030" which not only pointed out the shortcomings, weaknesses and backwardness but also proposed solutions and created consensus and determination in changing the thinking and working methods of Vietnamese Sports.

Shooter Trinh Thu Vinh entered the finals of 2 shooting events at the 2024 Paris Olympics

The Olympics is a major arena, a gathering place for the world's strongest athletes, in which major sports such as the US, China, Japan, Australia, France, England... have athletes with outstanding skills compared to the rest of the world. The Department of Sports and Physical Training has also identified this as an Olympics with certain opportunities but also great challenges, especially when evaluating the performance parameters of our athletes, there is still a gap compared to the achievement threshold that can compete for medals. Through the actual competition of the Vietnamese Sports Delegation at the last two Olympics, this is even more evident. Some of our athletes tried their best in the competition but could only "overcome themselves", making it difficult to compete for medals.

Vietnamese sports are still quite far from the Olympic arena.

Although we have made investments and developed strategies for key sports, there has been no consensus from the central to local levels in determining the goals, key investment contents, talent selection system, talent training programs, competition systems at all levels, key contents, etc. To implement the plan to train key athletes, invest in new athletes for the next Olympics and ASIADs, it is necessary to have adequate resources to be effective, not only direct investment in the selection and training of key athletes but also strong investment to improve basic conditions such as technical facilities, equipment, science and technology, etc. The reality is that investment in the development of high-performance sports in our country in the current period is mostly from the state budget (central and local), the mobilization of social resources in this field is still limited. Although in recent years, the Sports sector has made many efforts to promote socialization to attract resources, social participation as well as enhance the development of professional sports to create conditions for all economic sectors to participate in the field of high-performance sports, the results achieved are clearly not as expected. Therefore, in order to mobilize and effectively use investment resources for the development of high-performance sports in the coming time, it is necessary to implement parallel and synchronous solutions.

High performance sports need support from social resources.

Regarding state budget resources, in the coming time, it is necessary to continue reviewing and adjusting the allocation of budget funds for high-performance sports activities in a focused and key direction, concentrating resources on upgrading, renovating, expanding, and improving conditions for training athletes at national sports training centers. At the same time, there is a plan to coordinate with the military, police and localities to assign training tasks, mobilize comprehensive resources and promote the conditions and advantages of each unit in training key athletes.

+ Like many other social fields, sports also has positive and negative aspects, although the issues mentioned by the public are not new. If dissected and "healed" solutions were found, what "immediate actions" would you and the industry have to take and how would you do them?

- Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Ha Viet : In recent years, Vietnam Sports has achieved many important achievements, raising its position in the international arena in both organization and competition results. These achievements are thanks to the attention, leadership and direction of the Party and State, the close coordination of ministries, branches, localities and the whole society in investing and caring for the development of the sports movement, nurturing young sports talents; investing in developing key sports, sports in the Olympic and ASIAD programs to improve sports achievements. Along with that, the important factor to make the success of Vietnamese sports is the solidarity, effort and striving for the flag and colors of all cadres, athletes, coaches and people working in sports. Besides, one of the strengths for Vietnamese sports to achieve great achievements in recent years is the result of socialization in sports activities. While the country still faces many economic difficulties and the budget for sports investment is limited, the socialization of sports has been effective. Many preferential policies for sports socialization have attracted businesses and private individuals to invest in building facilities and equipment for physical training and sports, opening sports training clubs, and providing human resources for national sports.

The Sports Industry is completing the "Program for developing key Olympic and ASIAD sports"

In the coming time, the Sports and Physical Training sector will focus on implementing 9 groups of tasks and solutions set out in the Vietnam Sports and Physical Training Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045, in coordination with the Ministries (Public Security, National Defense) and localities to focus on grouping and investing in key sports, competition events and athletes capable of winning medals at the ASIAD and Olympic Games. Along with implementing the Sports and Physical Training Development Strategy, the Department of Sports and Physical Training is also finalizing the "Program for developing key sports to participate in the Olympics and ASIADs" to submit to the Prime Minister. This program also identifies the goals, roadmap, targets, methods and investment solutions for each group of sports and key sports events, corresponding to each Olympic and ASIAD. At the same time, determine the training area to have a direction for decentralization, shared responsibility between central agencies and the two branches of the Army, Police, and localities in the training of key athletes. Along with increasing investment and effectively using investment capital from the state budget, the Department will also identify solutions to expand socialization and accelerate the process of developing professional sports to maximize the mobilization of social resources in athlete training.

+ In 2025, there are many important events for the country and the industry (50th anniversary of national reunification, 80th anniversary of National Day, 79th anniversary of Vietnam Sports Day, 33rd SEA Games...), what are the operational goals and implementation targets of TTVN to meet the needs of fans?

- Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Ha Viet : Our country is in a development stage, a new era is also opening, the sports industry is aware of its responsibility to make more efforts to fulfill its responsibilities and contribute to the common achievements of the culture, sports and tourism industry. Although 2025 is forecasted to be a year with many difficulties and challenges for the sports industry, there are also many advantages in the context of the sports industry implementing Conclusion 70-KL/TW of the Politburo and the Vietnam Sports Development Strategy approved by the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presents the Labor Medal to the Vietnamese team - Photo: NHAT BAC

To effectively implement the key tasks set out in the 2025 program as well as the 7 key tasks directed by the Prime Minister at the Conference summarizing the Culture, Sports and Tourism sector. In 2025, the Sports and Physical Training sector has identified the following goals to focus on: 1) Strongly innovate the work of perfecting institutions and policies on physical training and sports; 2) Develop mass physical training and sports in breadth and high-performance sports in depth; 3) Focus on implementing the plan to arrange and streamline the apparatus, strengthen discipline and administrative discipline, promote the responsibility of leaders in directing and operating units, promote efficiency and effectiveness in state management and organize professional activities and sports careers.

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2025 is the pivotal year for implementing the Vietnam Sports Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045. This is also the year that requires strong institutional and policy innovation. Therefore, the Department of Sports and Physical Training will focus on researching and amending the Law on Sports and Physical Training, as a basis for proposing the completion of legal policies in the field of sports and physical training, meeting the requirements of sports and physical training development in the coming period, especially specific policies and regimes for athletes and sports coaches, while developing documents and component projects set out in the Strategy and focusing on achieving the goal of being in the top 3 at the 33rd SEA Games taking place in Thailand.

+ A New Year's wish for Vietnamese sports and domestic fans, as an industry leader, what wish do you want to convey?

- Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Ha Viet : On the occasion of the Spring of At Ty 2025, on behalf of the leaders of the Department of Sports and Physical Training, I wish all officials, athletes, coaches and sports fans nationwide and their families a healthy, happy, peaceful and prosperous new year; wish the athletes to continue to reap many successes at the 33rd SEA Games and international sports competitions in 2025, contributing to raising the position of Vietnamese sports to a new level and affirming the long-standing cultural traditions of Vietnam.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/the-thao-viet-nam-dua-tranh-sea-games-huong-toi-asiad-va-olympic-19625020308114543.htm