Vietnamese rattan: Reaching the world, investment aspirations

The golden record of Vietnamese sports always solemnly records the name of Sepak Takraw with resounding victories. From the familiar SEA Games arena, where the men's and women's teams often dominate their strong events, to the more rigorous playground of ASIAD and even the World Championship, the Vietnamese flag has repeatedly flown on the highest podium thanks to the talent and efforts of Sepak Takraw athletes.

Most recently, at the 2025 Sepak Takraw World Cup (ISTAF World Cup 2025), Vietnamese Sepak Takraw won 4 medals, including 1 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze. 2024 is also the year that Vietnamese Sepak Takraw has outstanding achievements, with 2 prestigious gold medals and many silver and bronze medals, contributing significantly to the development of the country's sports.

However, there is a persistent paradox: the media and public attention to this sport is rather "silent" compared to what it has contributed. Except for the times when major tournaments take place, information about sepak takraw, about the arduous training process, about the portraits of the heroes on the field are still quite limited in the mass media.

Top matches are rarely reported live, and inspirational stories of athletes are not widely spread... This leads to many people, although proud of the overall achievements, not really knowing about the rules of the game, the technical beauty or the names of those who have brought glory to the Fatherland.

The lack of a systematic and effective communication strategy not only causes Sepak Takraw to lose a large number of potential fans but also indirectly affects many other aspects. When a sport is less known, attracting sponsorship from businesses becomes more difficult. The image of the sport and athletes is not widely built and promoted, which also reduces the attraction for young talents who may be hesitant to choose a professional sports path.

Recognizing the importance of media for this potential sport, on March 12, 2024, the leaders of the Vietnam Sepak Takraw Federation and the leaders of Vietnam Law Newspaper officially signed a memorandum of understanding on media cooperation and sponsorship between the Vietnam Sepak Takraw Federation and Vietnam Law Newspaper.

At the signing ceremony, Dr. Vu Hoai Nam - Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Law Newspaper, also sent his wish that not only Vietnam Law Newspaper but also other media agencies would join hands to propagate, help Vietnamese people know more, understand more and share and support Vietnam Rattan Bridge.

Signing ceremony of memorandum of understanding on media cooperation and sponsorship between Vietnam Sepak Takraw Federation and Vietnam Law Newspaper.

Understanding this better than anyone, the head coach of the Vietnamese Sepak Takraw team, Ms. Tran Thi Vui, who has been involved in and witnessed many ups and downs of this sport, always has a concern. She shared that, besides efforts to improve her skills, one of the biggest wishes of her and the coaching staff is how to make Sepak Takraw closer to the public, especially the younger generation.

"We really hope to be able to include sepak takraw in the physical education program in schools," said coach Tran Thi Vui. "When students are exposed to, learn about and practice sepak takraw from an early age, they will have another useful sport option. More importantly, this will help us discover and nurture talent from the root, creating a more abundant and quality source of future athletes. Having many players and many people knowing about this sport at the school level is also the most natural and sustainable way to promote the image of this sport."

Bringing Sepak Takraw to schools not only solves the problem of the next generation of players but is also an effective communication channel. When students play, parents will know about it, school and district level tournaments will be held, creating a vibrant atmosphere and real interest from the community. Images of children excited about the ball, performing the first technical moves will be great material for the media to exploit and spread the love for this national sport.

Along with that, there needs to be a stronger investment in promoting the image of the national team. Sepak Takraw is a highly performing sport, with flying shots, powerful and beautiful hook shots, and a spirit of close teamwork. These are the "golden materials" to build attractive media products: eye-catching highlight videos, documentaries about the journey to glory, exchanges between athletes and fans... Taking advantage of social networking platforms to update information, images, and interact with the public is also a direction that needs to be promoted.

When the beautiful image of Sepak Takraw and the dedication of athletes are widely known, the interest and love of fans will increase. That will be a great spiritual motivation for the players, at the same time creating attraction for sponsors, contributing to improving investment resources for training, competition and improving treatment.

When the beautiful image of Sepak Takraw and the dedication of athletes are widely known, the interest and love of fans will increase.

The success of Vietnamese Sepak Takraw is a story of the will to overcome difficulties, of the desire to conquer the peak. But to keep that passion burning and spreading, to keep the medals shining on the world sports map, more attention and investment are needed.

Investing in Sepak Takraw is not only investing in a sport, but also investing in national pride. With proper attention and investment, Vietnamese Sepak Takraw can absolutely reach further on the world sports map.

PV

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/cau-may-viet-nam-vuon-tam-the-gioi-khat-vong-dau-tu-post544911.html