World Games 2025 and the hope named Thuy Vi, Duy Nhat

The 2025 World Games Organizing Committee has officially confirmed that 28 Vietnamese athletes are qualified to participate in this important sporting event, officially competing in 8 sports, including: Aerobics, women's beach handball, billiards, petanque, kickboxing, muay, wushu and jujitsu.

Wushu hopes to win gold medal

In aerobics, Vietnam will compete in the 3-man and team events, with team spots determined by their rankings at the 2024 World Championship. Women's beach handball also made its mark when the Vietnamese team qualified after impressive results at regional and continental tournaments.

In Billiards, the two leading Vietnamese players, Tran Quyet Chien and Phung Kien Tuong (women), will represent Vietnam to compete. Meanwhile, petanque will see the participation of Vo Minh Luan and Kim Thi Thu Thao, in which Thu Thao won the gold medal (HCV) in women's doubles at the 2024 Asian petanque Championship.

World Games 2025 và kỳ vọng mang tên Thúy Vi, Duy Nhất - Ảnh 1. — Duong Thuy Vi is an expected face at the 2025 World Games (Photo: NGOC LINH)

Martial arts continue to affirm the strength of Vietnamese sports when kickboxing has martial artist Trieu Thi Phuong Thuy winning the right to participate; Muay has the participation of "undefeated" martial artist Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat - World Games 2022 champion; and jujitsu, Nguyen Thi Minh Vuong will represent Vietnam to compete in the women's fighting category 57 kg.

Wushu is participating with a strong force including Huynh Do Dat, Nguyen Huy Hoang, Ngo Phuong Nga, Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Duong Thuy Vi, Dang Tran Phuong Nhi and Nong Van Huu. Among these athletes, Duong Thuy Vi is expected to repeat her achievement of winning the gold medal at the tournament 3 years ago in the US.

Remarkable progress

Unfortunately, the Vietnamese diving team was not on the list of participants, although it was previously expected to win up to 8 spots from the results of the 2024 World Cup held in Thailand. However, according to the regulations of the World Diving Federation, only athletes participating in the 2024 World Cup finals are eligible to participate in the World Games. Because no representative participated in this round, the Vietnamese diving team was officially absent from the congress.

Compared to the 2022 World Games in the US - where Vietnamese sports only had 5 athletes participating in 3 sports and won 2 gold medals, this time, the presence of 28 athletes in 8 sports is considered a remarkable step forward. At the previous Games, Muay and Wushu brought home 2 valuable gold medals thanks to the efforts of Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat and Duong Thuy Vi, contributing to the Vietnamese team's 31st overall ranking.

According to the plan, the sports industry will not form a Vietnamese sports delegation to participate in the 2025 World Games. Instead, each team with a place to participate will proactively plan its own competition, including preparing its forces, arranging travel schedules and competing according to the program of the games. This is an approach that was applied at the 2022 World Games and is considered suitable for the specific nature of the games.

The 2025 World Games is expected to feature 118 countries and territories, competing in 34 sports with a total of 253 medal sets. As a playground for non-Olympic sports, the Games are considered a gathering place for world-class athletes in each specialized sport.

Participation in the 2025 World Games is not only an opportunity for Vietnamese athletes to affirm their abilities in the international arena, but also an opportunity for strong sports to prepare for regional, continental and world-class events, including the 33rd SEA Games, which will take place at the end of 2025.