Vietnam to chair ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports 2025

Vietnam will chair the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports 2025. Photo: Van Duy .

In 2025, under a rotation mechanism, Vietnam will take on the role of hosting the 16th ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting on Sports (SOMS 16), AMMS 8, the 5th ASEAN + Japan Ministerial Meeting and the 2nd ASEAN + China Ministerial Meeting.

With the theme “Navigating Sports - Contributing to Sustainable Development”, the conference focused on key contents reflecting the development of regional sports in the new period.

The largest sports forum in the region

The forum will be attended by about 200 delegates, including Ministers, sports officials from ASEAN countries and Timor Leste, representatives from Japan, China and many international organizations such as FIFA, WADA and SEARADO. The conferences are expected to adopt a Joint Statement, evaluate the results of the ASEAN Sports Action Plan for the period 2021-2025 (95% completed), and discuss cooperation orientations for the period after 2025.

The focus of discussion revolved around developing professional sports in association with sports science and economics ; promoting gender equality and the participation of women, youth, and people with disabilities; preserving and promoting traditional sports; building an ASEAN High Performance Sports Center; improving public health; and promoting cooperation with dialogue partners such as Japan, China, and South Korea.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Danh Hoang Viet, Director of the Department of Sports and Physical Training, emphasized: “Hosting the conference is an opportunity for Vietnam to affirm its role and international prestige, while accessing management experience, development models and resources from friends in the region. This is an opportunity for Vietnamese sports to improve their comprehensive capacity, from sports science, physical education to school sports and sports for the disabled.”

Affirming Vietnam's position in the region

AMMS 8 is not only the responsibility of the host country under the ASEAN cooperation mechanism but also an opportunity for Vietnam to promote the image of the country and its people to the world. This event is also associated with the multilateral foreign policy, in the spirit of Conclusion 59-KL/TW of the Politburo and Directive 25-CT/TW of the Secretariat.

Ms. Le Thi Hoang Yen, Deputy Director of the Department of Sports and Physical Training, said: “In addition to discussing high-performance sports, the conference also focused on community sports, sports safety, school sports, digital transformation and sports industry. These are important factors towards sustainable and comprehensive development.”

Ms. Le Thi Hoang Yen, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration, spoke at an event related to the ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Sports 2025. Photo: Van Duy .

Many countries and international organizations have expressed their interest in cooperating with ASEAN. Japan focuses on developing women's sports and sports for people with disabilities, China invests in infrastructure and preserves traditional sports, while FIFA and WADA work together on football development and anti-doping. Specific cooperation programs and projects will be signed and implemented within the framework of the conference.

Since its first meeting in Indonesia in 2011, the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports has become an important high-level forum where member countries exchange policies, enhance cooperation and work towards sustainable development goals.

As the host in 2025, Vietnam hopes not only to successfully organize the event in terms of foreign affairs, but also to take advantage of the opportunity to share experiences, learn from more developed countries, and seek support from international experts. This will be the foundation for Vietnamese sports to move closer to the goal of improving achievements in the continent and the world, while contributing to strengthening the solidarity and cooperation in the ASEAN community.

Source: https://znews.vn/viet-nam-chu-tri-hoi-nghi-bo-truong-asean-ve-the-thao-2025-post1592306.html