“SEA Games is a stepping stone for ASIAD and Olympics”

The 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia ended with impressive achievements of the Vietnam Sports Delegation (VSD). Giao thong Newspaper talked with Mr. Dang Ha Viet, Director General of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, Head of the VSD at the 32nd SEA Games about the successes, remaining issues and future directions.

Head of TTVN delegation Dang Ha Viet:

Mr. Dang Ha Viet in a media exchange at SEA Games 32. Photo: Bui Luong

Invest in the right direction

The Vietnamese Sports Delegation has successfully exceeded its target before departure by winning 136 gold medals and ranking first overall. As the Head of the Delegation, can you tell us what you are satisfied with and what you are still hesitant about?

The Vietnamese sports delegation finished in first place with 136 gold medals, 105 silver medals and 118 bronze medals, which can be said to be an exceptionally outstanding achievement. I am very proud that our athletes have made every effort, overcoming difficulties to affirm the position of Vietnamese sports in the community of Southeast Asian countries.

“

If we only rely on the State budget, we certainly will not be able to create a new breakthrough for the development of TTVN in the future.
The orientation is to coordinate resources from the State budget, resources from localities and resources from the whole society to develop the sports career.
Next June, we will hold a conference with federations and associations and then hold a workshop to discuss and implement solutions to enhance the autonomy of federations and associations.
With such a direction, if we want to solve the problem of socialization, the key is still to solve the problem of achievement. Youth training and coaching must be especially focused on to improve the achievements of Vietnamese sports in the international arena, only then can we attract attention and investment.

Mr. Dang Ha Viet

”

This Games, the host did not organize many Olympic sports and competitions, but with over 50% of the medals coming from Olympic sports, I think this is a great success because Vietnam Sports Administration is focusing on Olympic sports to improve its performance at the ASIAD as well as the Olympics.

Having said that, we still have regrets when some sports have not fulfilled their targets such as athletics and swimming; some highly expected athletes did not win gold medals such as Ly Hoang Nam (tennis), Nguyen Thi Tam, Nguyen Van Duong (boxing)...

Before the 32nd SEA Games, both men's and women's football teams set the goal of successfully defending their gold medals, but only the women's team was able to do so. Female athletes in many other sports also outperformed their male counterparts. In your opinion, what is the cause of this division?

In our sports development strategy, we focus a lot on female athletes and set many targets for them. Vietnamese girls are always persistent, hard-working, patient and have extraordinary strength.

At the same time, female athletes also face many difficulties when having to fulfill their motherhood, inconvenience in daily life. However, I know that many female athletes after getting married and having children still return to compete and achieve excellent results, Nguyen Thi Huyen of athletics is a typical example.

Right after the 32nd SEA Games, how will the sports industry prepare for the ASIAD, sir?

The SEA Games have ended, but the sports industry still has many goals ahead, focusing on the ASIAD taking place in Hangzhou (China) in October. In addition, many Vietnamese athletes will also compete in the qualifying round for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The core task is still to review and prepare the best force to participate in the competition.

All tournaments are interconnected in terms of preparation. For ASIAD or Olympic qualifiers, SEA Games is like a warm-up, an opportunity to compete and test the performance of the period, not the peak of the athletes' performance. The peak of performance of these athletes will have to be ASIAD or further, the Olympics.

According to you, is the fact that many Olympic sports such as swimming, athletics, judo, wrestling, taekwondo... maintained their position at the 32nd SEA Games a positive signal, showing that Vietnam's investment is on the right track?

The success of 16 basic sports in the Olympic competition system that Vietnamese athletes achieved at the recent Games shows that Vietnamese sports are developing in the right direction set out in the Vietnam Sports Development Strategy to 2035.

But it is not until this SEA Games that the story of investing in the right direction is mentioned. From the last 2-3 Games, the number of Olympic medals won by Vietnam has always accounted for at least 50%.

In particular, our athletes defeated many direct opponents from Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia in sports such as athletics, swimming, and some martial arts.

Towards the formation of a sports industry

Head of TTVN delegation Dang Ha Viet:

The Vietnamese men's fencing team won the gold medal in the team sabre event at the 32nd SEA Games. Photo: Bui Luong

Since the 33rd SEA Games, the Southeast Asian Sports Federation has been orienting to increase Olympic sports to help regional sports gradually catch up with Asia and the world . What orientations will Vietnam Sports Federation have to take advantage of this change and bring about positive changes?

The only way is to continue to promote and be more bold in increasing investment in key sports and spearhead events, as well as having specific policies for these sports.

Although they have competed successfully and won gold medals in Olympic events, the achievements of Vietnamese athletes are still quite far behind those of the continent and the world. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on investing heavily in key athletes and coaches that the industry has identified and continue to search for new sports talents in the coming time to strive to win medals at ASIAD and the Olympics.

It is a fact that at the SEA Games, we always play well, even excel in Olympic sports, but when it comes to the ASIAD or the Olympics, our achievements are not as good as some other countries in the region. What is the cause of this situation, sir?

Each arena has its own characteristics. We are always at the top of the SEA Games, but remember that the ASIAD and the Olympics are more rigorous and competitive. Right at the ASIAD, many sports and events gather the world's top athletes.

Therefore, the chance for Vietnamese athletes to compete for medals is very small. Some people also ask why Singapore, Malaysia or Thailand have won many Olympic and ASIAD medals. I think this comes from the fact that their investment level is larger than Vietnam's, and their conditions are also better.

You once said that SEA Games is not a village pond, so over the years, since the time Vietnam's sports sector integrated, what role has SEA Games played and how has it contributed to changing Vietnam's sports sector?

It can be said that Vietnam Sports Administration has been and is on the path to professionalism, starting to form a sports economy and moving towards a sports industry. To achieve such progress, the role of SEA Games cannot be denied.

Many sports and athletes, through their achievements at the SEA Games, have received the attention of fans and attracted investment from businesses. Football is a typical example.

Volleyball, table tennis, basketball, golf… are also getting more and more attention. In addition, the glory at the SEA Games is also the motivation for young athletes to strive to reach the top, creating the next generation capable of competing on the international stage.

Thank you!

Source