Ho Chi Minh City's sports scene has long played a leading role, not only because of the diverse investment in developing various sports and outstanding competitive achievements, but also because of its positive contributions to national sports in many aspects.
Solutions for the future
Following the overall development of the country, Ho Chi Minh City, while maintaining its leading position, faces several bottlenecks in the sports sector. The population is growing, land resources are becoming increasingly limited, and many essential sports facilities are deteriorating over time.
The sports talent discovery and training system in Ho Chi Minh City faces difficulties due to a shortage of successor resources. The sports infrastructure is both inadequate and weak, failing to meet the training needs of the general public, let alone the requirements for improving the skills of elite athletes.
Solutions for the future of sports in the "megacity" of Ho Chi Minh City have been offered very positively following the administrative unit merger process, especially from the conclusions of the conference discussing the draft plan for the reorganization of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City and the Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau provinces.
Contrary to the expectations of many, the leaders of the culture and sports sectors of the three localities did not simply merge to leverage the strengths of each locality, complementing and supplementing each other to form a leading national-level cultural and sports super-center.
The consolidation of sports units is seen not only as a structural change but also as a major step forward in the strategy for developing sports in the "megacity" of Ho Chi Minh City, ensuring an efficient operational system that better meets the needs of society.
Remove bottlenecks
There have been conflicting opinions regarding Ho Chi Minh City's proposal to host the 10th National Sports Games in 2026, with the participation of all 63 provinces and cities. Now that the localities have merged, how will the event be organized, and how will the results be calculated? Not to mention, will this platform pave the way for Vietnamese elite sports to either retreat or unleash their full potential on the international stage?
According to Nguyen Nam Nhan, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, when hosting the 10th National Sports Games, Ho Chi Minh City faced many challenges due to dilapidated infrastructure and many buildings not being renovated. Ho Chi Minh City also lacked any new large-scale facilities after decades.
Phu Tho Sports Arena will be one of the venues to host the 2026 National Sports Games. Photo: Nguyen Van
The 10th National Sports Games are scheduled to open in October 2026. However, it wasn't until April 2025 that many key projects such as the Hoa Lu Sports Center, the Phu Tho Swimming and Diving Club, the Phu Tho Sports Arena, and the Phu Tho Sports Training Center began renovation, repair, and upgrading. The project to build a new Hoa Lu Talent Athlete Training Center and the renovation of Thong Nhat Stadium are only expected to be implemented at the end of this year.
The removal of bottlenecks for sports in Ho Chi Minh City is being boosted after the local merger, with sports in Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau both determined to join forces for a new opportunity. Initially, the areas in the former Ba Ria - Vung Tau region, with its strengths in beaches and hotel accommodations, will host 10 sports, mainly related to the sea, at the 2026 National Sports Games.
Meanwhile, Binh Duong (formerly) will host five official sports at the Games: boxing, jujitsu, petanque, sports dance, and cycling. Road cycling competitions will be held on beautiful, high-quality routes passing through Bau Bang, Ben Cat, Thu Dau Mot, Tan Uyen, and Thuan An, while the petanque arena will be completed by the end of 2025.
Ho Chi Minh City's sports sector is expected to fully resolve its shortcomings and dedicate itself to a new era with clear opportunities and challenges. Only with unity can all efforts elevate sports in the city named after President Ho Chi Minh to a new level.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/van-hoi-moi-cua-the-thao-tp-hcm-196250706200949518.htm
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