The German government has scaled back its support of athletics in Vietnam.

The German Olympic Committee and German Athletics Federation told the Vietnam Athletics Federation (VAF) that Germany has ended it plan to help foster Vietnamese athletes one year early, due to a shortage of finances.

In November 2009, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Germany Embassy in Vietnam signed a four-year co-operation agreement on the development of athletics in Vietnam until next year. This plan included training athletics coaches, seeking young talent and organising annual plans for athletes.

Under the agreement, Germany sent decathlete Uwe Freimuth to work as a sports scientist, coach and lecturer in Vietnam.

Over the past two years, Freimuth alongside the VAF and the National Sports Administration, have worked on developing athletics across Vietnam.

Under the co-operation agreement, Vietnam athletics was equipped with modern machines such as massage beds and cardiographs, while also receiving 30,000 USD from the German government every year.

Hoang Manh Cuong, general secretary of the VAF, said Freimuth has finished his two-year tenure and returned home before the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday. Cuong said that although Germany has temporarily stopped its long-term plans as of the beginning of this year, Germany pledges to continue to support Vietnam's athletics through smaller scale projects./.