Ho Chi Minh City needs a modern stadium like Bukit Jalil, Malaysia - Photo: NK
But from proposal to implementation is not a simple story at the national sports complex - where planning has been "suspended" for more than 30 years.
* Expert Doan Minh Xuong:
"HCMC is a megacity so it needs large sports facilities"
Socializing sports and professionalizing sports is an inevitable trend that the world has been operating to develop its sports. This is very effective and contributes to building the image of the city and the country, bringing health to the people and creating excitement in life.
To do that, the State should have policies and legal corridors to develop professional sports. IfSun Group wants to invest in Rach Chiec, the State needs to allocate land and create conditions for businesses to make money to sustain the project. The difficulty of Rach Chiec for a long time is that the compensation for site clearance is too high. So when the State allocates land for people to work, if the State allocates it for a long enough time, they will still know how to calculate and exploit it effectively to make money. Not to mention, they can also turn Rach Chiec into a symbol of Ho Chi Minh City, not just a sports project.
Ho Chi Minh City is currently merging with Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau to form a megacity, but without a classy club or a large sports facility like Malaysia's modern Bukit Jalik Stadium, it would be a shame.
Ho Chi Minh City must play football, must have a large stadium of Southeast Asia, must have a strong club. That is not only the image and brand of the new Ho Chi Minh City after the merger but also the symbol of Vietnam. If determined like that, there will be an investment problem for Rach Chiec.
* Mr. Mai Ba Hung (former deputy director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City):
"It's great to be able to start the complex"
If Sun Group can invest in the Rach Chiec National Sports Complex (Rach Chiec), it would be great. The problem is that the land in Rach Chiec is currently stuck in compensation and clearance. Therefore, the State must take the initiative to clear the land. At that time, not only Sun Group but also many other investors will want to jump into Rach Chiec.
But compensation for land clearance here is not a simple matter. Next to Rach Chiec, there is a land area of Saigon Sports City which was started in November 2019. It includes a sports area of more than 20 hectares. It is a project that has cleared land but has not yet taken shape.
Therefore, the problem is the political determination of the new leaders of Ho Chi Minh City. If they care about sports, about the fact that the new Ho Chi Minh City after the merger needs a large, modern stadium for a megacity, then the leaders will be determined to do it.
But above all, building stadiums or sports facilities will reduce the need to build hospitals and invest in people's health. This is something that countries have been doing for hundreds of years.
* Mr. Trinh Duc Thanh (Deputy Director of Thong Nhat Sports Center - in charge of athletics):
"HCMC sports will benefit a lot"
The information that Sun Group proposed to invest in Rach Chiec is worth waiting for. Once the large Rach Chiec project can be put into use, it will bring great benefits to Ho Chi Minh City sports in particular and Ho Chi Minh City in general.
Firstly, it helps the area develop harmoniously (in foreign countries, the complex is often the destination of bus stations, train stations, shopping service areas...), residents can practice sports and enjoy spiritual food. International competitions held here also help raise people's awareness, promoting the image of the area.
But the biggest benefit is that Ho Chi Minh City sports will have more modern facilities to host international competitions. For many years, Ho Chi Minh City has been unable to host national championships, let alone international ones, because of its degraded and inadequate facilities.
Rach Chiec is formed, foreign teams coming to Vietnam will bring modern sports technology. The tournament organizers and coaches will learn a lot of new knowledge. Athletes will have the opportunity to compete with foreign athletes and improve their skills.
* Mr. Ly Dai Nghia (Director of Ho Chi Minh City Sports Training and Competition Center):
"Forming a sports economic ecosystem"
Rach Chiec area includes 18 PPP sports projects, if implemented, it will be the first public-private sports partnership model in Vietnam with such a large scale. In addition to helping Ho Chi Minh City sports modernize its sports facilities to international standards, it also helps create an international standard training environment for Ho Chi Minh City athletes, capable of organizing continental and world events...
It is also the mindset, methods and technology to operate professional sports (which Ho Chi Minh City management staff are very weak and lacking). Next, it will form the first sports economic ecosystem in Vietnam to promote sports services, sports products... towards professional sports.
This complex can completely connect culture, tourism, training with sports to form sports tourism products, sports training academy models, and sports entertainment.
The Office of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has just sent a document to the Department of Finance regarding Sun Group's proposal to invest in projects in some areas of the city. Based on the investor's proposal, the Office of the City People's Committee requested the Department of Finance to consider and resolve within its authority, in accordance with legal regulations, and report the results to the City People's Committee.
In its proposals, Sun Group proposed to study and implement key social infrastructure projects in Thu Duc City (old) under the form of BT contracts with a counterpart mechanism of land fund and investment rights in Truong Tho urban area (about 147ha). These projects include the Rach Chiec national sports complex with a scale of about 187ha and the historical - cultural national park of about 395ha.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tin-vui-cho-du-an-khu-lien-hop-the-thao-rach-chiec-20250705090556369.htm
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