Reviewing the proud journey of Vietnamese sports

Also attending were Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong; General Director of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training Dang Ha Viet; leaders of the sports sector; national sports federations and associations; outstanding athletes and coaches nationwide.

Minister Nguyen Van Hung and delegates perform the flag salute ceremony.

The program is part of a series of activities to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the Sports and Physical Training Industry's Traditional Day and towards the 32nd SEA Games. Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong emphasized that after the success of the August Revolution in 1945, although the country was in a difficult situation: fighting against hunger, illiteracy, and foreign invaders, the Party and President Ho Chi Minh still paid special attention to sports and physical training.

Minister Nguyen Van Hung and Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong awarded Certificates of Merit to outstanding athletes and coaches.

He set the goal of soon building and developing a sports foundation to contribute to improving people's health and improving the race. On January 30, 1946, President Ho Chi Minh, on behalf of the Provisional Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, signed Decree No. 14 to establish the "Central Sports Department", the first State management agency for sports and physical training. Then, on March 27 of the same year, he signed Decree No. 38 to establish the Youth and Sports Department under the Ministry of National Education. Also on this day, the Cuu Quoc Newspaper published an article entitled "Health and Sports" by President Ho Chi Minh calling on people nationwide to practice sports to maintain and improve their health.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong speaks at the ceremony

Recalling President Ho Chi Minh's call for all people to exercise, Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong said that over the past 77 years, with President Ho Chi Minh's ideology of "A strong people makes a prosperous country" and under the leadership of the Party and Government, generations of people working in physical training and sports across the country have always overcome difficulties, overcome challenges, and excellently completed all assigned tasks, contributing to the cause of fighting for national independence, national reunification, and building and defending the Fatherland.

“The program “Glory of Vietnamese Sports” and awarding of outstanding athletes and coaches in 2022, held on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the Sports and Physical Training Industry’s Traditional Day, is an extremely important event, not only to honor and reward outstanding athletes and coaches, but also to review the formation and development of Vietnamese sports over the past years. This will be the belief and motivation for us to strive to complete the important sports and physical training tasks set out in 2023 and the following years,” said Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong.

Deputy Directors of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training: Tran Duc Phan and Le Hoang Yen presented commemorative medals to outstanding coaches and athletes.

On this occasion, on behalf of the leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong commended and sent special congratulations to 10 outstanding athletes and 5 outstanding coaches; 05 athletes and 3 disabled sports coaches who were voted by journalists as outstanding athletes and coaches in 2022: "We also hope that all athletes and coaches will continue to strive to achieve excellent results at major sports tournaments taking place in 2023, namely SEA Games 32, ASEAN Para Games 12, Asiad 19 and Asian Para Games 4".

At the ceremony, Minister Nguyen Van Hung and Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong awarded Certificates of Merit from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to outstanding coaches and athletes; outstanding athletes and coaches of disabled sports in Vietnamese sports in 2022. Deputy Directors of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training: Tran Duc Phan and Le Thi Hoang Yen also awarded commemorative medals to these outstanding coaches and athletes.

Dance Sport and Artistic Gymnastics teams performed at the ceremony

Also at the ceremony, representing the host country of the 32nd SEA Games, Mr. En Tara - Counselor of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Cambodia in Vietnam gave a speech welcoming guests to the 32nd SEA Games and the 12th ASEAN Para Games, held in Cambodia in May and June.

Congratulating Vietnam on its recent socio-economic achievements, the Counselor of the Cambodian Embassy also emphasized that during the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, the two countries have supported and united to overcome the pandemic. Thanking Vietnam for supporting Cambodia in hosting the two largest sports events in Southeast Asia, Mr. En Tara hoped to continue receiving support from Vietnam to successfully organize the 32nd SEA Games, first of all the torch relay, with the first destination in the Southeast Asian countries being Hanoi on March 23, before returning to Cambodia next April.

Immediately after the ceremony, delegates, athletes and coaches participated in the Launching Ceremony of the Olympic Running Day for the health of all people, following the route: In front of the Opera House - Ly Thai To Street - in front of the State Bank - Ngo Quyen Street - Trang Tien Street - In front of the Hanoi Opera House.

THU SAM; photo: TRAN HUAN

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