Solemn ceremony of lighting the torch of the 11th Capital Sports Festival

Director of Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports Bach Lien Huong presented to Hanoi athletes. Photo: Dinh Bao

The 11th Capital Sports Festival in 2025 is expected to take place in 42 days (from November 4 to December 15) with 25 competitions including: swimming, athletics, table tennis, football, badminton, taekwondo, wrestling, tennis, volleyball (leather, air), basketball, karate, aerobics, wushu, billiards & snooker, chess, Chinese chess, dance sports, pencak silat, vovinam, roller sports, e-sports, traditional martial arts, shuttlecock kicking, aerobics and tug of war.

The opening ceremony will be held on November 28 at the Hanoi Athletics Palace and the closing ceremony will be held at the Cultural House - Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center.

The 11th Capital Sports Festival in 2025 will be held at two levels. At the grassroots level (commune, ward), organize at least 8 sports or more, focusing on sports that are popular with the people such as: athletics, swimming, football, basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, shuttlecock kicking, etc.

Along with that, traditional sports and folk games suitable for local traditions were also held at the Congress. This is the first time the Capital Sports Congress was held after implementing the two-level local government, in 126 communes and wards.

The 11th Capital Sports Congress is larger in scale, has richer content and wider reach than the 10th Congress (2022).

Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports Pham Xuan Tai said that the 11th Capital Sports Congress in 2025 is a key activity to promote the Campaign "All people exercise following the example of great Uncle Ho", the movement "All people unite to build a cultural life" and promote the movement "Sports for everyone".

Through the Congress, we will discover and nurture sports talents; strengthen the organizational system, improve the capacity of staff, coaches, and referees, and prepare a team of excellent athletes to participate in the 10th National Sports Congress in 2026.

At the torch lighting ceremony of the 11th Hanoi Sports Festival taking place this afternoon, November 13, the delegation including leaders of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports and typical athletes of the capital's sports departed from Nguyen Thai Hoc Street to the Ho Chi Minh Museum area to perform the torch lighting ceremony.

Before entering the Ho Chi Minh Museum to ask for the torch, the delegation visited the mausoleum and laid a wreath in memory of President Ho Chi Minh. After that, the delegation performed the torch-requesting ceremony. The leaders of the Ho Chi Minh Museum handed the torch to the Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, Bach Lien Huong.

After the ceremony, the fire procession moved from Ho Chi Minh Museum to Hanoi Athletics Palace along the following routes: Hung Vuong - Tran Phu - Kim Ma - Nguyen Chi Thanh - Tran Duy Hung - Thang Long Boulevard - Le Quang Dao - Tran Huu Duc.

The flame will be kept, ready for the opening day of the 11th Capital Sports Festival, taking place on November 28.

Some images at the torch lighting ceremony for the 11th Hanoi Sports Festival in 2025 .