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| Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra delivers a speech at the ceremony in Hanoi on September 9 to see off the Vietnamese sports delegation to the 20th Asian Games (ASIAD 20) in Japan__Photo: VNA |
The Vietnam Olympic Committee and the Sports Authority of Vietnam, in coordination with relevant agencies, held a ceremony in Hanoi on September 9 to see off the Vietnamese sports delegation to the 20th Asian Games (ASIAD 20) in Japan.
Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra extended her best wishes to all members of the delegation, expressing her belief that the coaches and athletes would achieve strong results at the games. ASIAD is not only the largest-scale sporting event on the continent, but also a major celebration of solidarity and cultural exchange among countries, she said.
The Deputy PM asked each delegation member to demonstrate the highest level of determination and strive to meet and surpass the set targets. She also urged them to uphold the noble spirit of sportsmanship, with each individual serving as a cultural ambassador who carries a strong sense of national pride and dignity, while promoting the image of Vietnamese people as friendly, sportsmanlike, civilised and internationally integrated.
Nguyen Hong Minh, Deputy Director of the Sports Authority of Vietnam and head of the delegation, said that immediately after the 33rd SEA Games, the authority proactively reviewed the pool of athletes, prioritised training for outstanding athletes, and sent many key ones to train at leading sports centres overseas.
He stressed that the entire delegation is heading to the tournament with strong determination to win, discipline, composure and perseverance, striving for the best possible results.
ASIAD 20 will take place from September 19 to October 4, in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan. It is the largest sporting event in Asia and also an opportunity to strengthen friendship, solidarity, cooperation and mutual understanding among countries.
The Vietnamese delegation comprises 496 members, including athletes, coaches, experts, officials, doctors and medical staff. The teams will depart in several groups depending on their competition schedules, with the largest group expected to leave on September 16. The squad has set a target of winning at least four gold medals at ASIAD 20.-(VNA/VLLF)
