Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has expressed confidence that Vietnamese athletes and coaches will compete with perseverance, resilience, and courage at the upcoming 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Thailand, striving for the highest possible results.
Speaking at a send-off ceremony for the Vietnamese sports delegation in Hanoi on November 28, PM Chinh highlighted the importance Vietnam attaches to sports, the consistent backing from its Party and State, and the historic achievements of Vietnamese athletes, especially on the SEA Games stage.
He thanked the delegation for donating funds to the communities hit by recent natural disasters and praised the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, agencies and units, and the delegation for their thorough preparations, which will lay a solid foundation for success at the Games.
The PM urged every official, coach, and athlete to embrace their responsibilities, compete with total commitment, surpass personal limits, and treat each match as a final, while striving to set new personal bests and achieve regional records.
Each member of the delegation must embody the role of a “cultural ambassador”, helping spread the image of the Vietnamese people as compassionate, peace-loving, wise, and civilised, while strengthening solidarity, friendship, and cooperation with the peoples of Southeast Asian nations.
Coaches and athletes must strictly adhere to discipline, maintain professional conduct, foster unity in will and action, comply with competition rules and international norms, act with civility, and ensure absolute safety in health and security throughout the event, he said.
Success at the 33rd SEA Games, he added, will serve as a powerful source of encouragement for the entire Party, people, and army, build momentum, bolster confidence, and reinforce the great national unity as Vietnam strives for outstanding accomplishments ahead of the 14th National Party Congress.
The Vietnamese delegation has more than 1,100 members, including 841 athletes who will compete in 47 out of the 66 sports and events. It aims to secure 91–110 gold medals and remain among the top-performing nations at the biennial tournament./.
