SEA Games 31: Hanoi strives for a successful tournament hinh anh 1An overview of Dan Phuong Gymnasium in Dan Phuong district – the venue for SEA Games’ Jujitsu event. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The capital city of Hanoi is striving for a successful SEA Games 31, the regional biggest sports event.

It has set the target of contributing 25-30 percent of athletes for the national team as well as 30 percent of the medals at the Games. The city also works to ensure the best preparations for the national teams to undergo training and compete.

At SEA Games 30 held in the Philippines, Hanoi was the locality that contributed the most medals with 34 gold, 27 silver and 26 bronze medals. The Vietnamese delegation won 98 gold, 85 silver and 105 bronze medals.

Hanoi will contribute 274 of the 965 athletes for the national team at the SEA Games 31. It expects to achieve 40 gold medals, 33 silver medals and 31 bronze medals.

The city is supporting the national teams in preparing for the tournament to help them achieve the best results, according to the Games' Organising Commitee.

Coach Lam Khai Vinh of the national petanque team said that the best condition has been created for them since they began training at the Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Centre (HSTCC) in March, adding that the competition and training areas have been upgraded to meet international standards.

Similarly, the training site of the national muay team in Phuc Tho district has been refurbished to have more fitness rooms.

Hoang Quoc Vinh, head of the General Department of Physical Education and Sports 's Elite Sports 1 Department, said that this is the foundation for the muay team to fulfil its task at the Games.

During a recent inspection at the HSTCC, Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports Do Dinh Hong asked the centre to create maximum conditions in terms of facilities and accommodation for national team coaches and athletes.

The centre has tried its best in taking care of athletes’ preparations, including sending them abroad for training prior to the Games, according to Dao Quoc Thang, the centre’s director.

This is the second time Vietnam has hosted the Southeast Asian Games, the last being in 2003. The SEA Games were scheduled to run from November 21 to December 2, 2021. However, the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Games will feature over 40 sports, and 526 events with the attendance of some 10,000 athletes and officials from 11 Southeast Asian countries.
Organising Committee