Paris (VNA) – Sports cooperation is a vivid testament to the depth and substance of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and France, Vietnamese Ambassador Trinh Duc Hai said at a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the Francophone sports association AFS on February 25.
The ambassador congratulated France on successfully hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics and Summer Paralympics, describing them as milestones that have helped promote cooperation between management agencies, federations and athletes of the two countries.
He also noted that Vietnam has approved its high-performance sports development strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2035, aiming to elevate athletes to higher standards and enhance the country’s standing at regional and international arenas.
Hai expressed particular thanks to the French Government, the French Embassy in Vietnam, AFS and local authorities, especially the Normandy region, for facilitating Vietnamese athletes’ training programmes in France last year. The diplomat highlighted the recent achievements at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), where several athletes who had trained in France won gold medals, demonstrating the tangible effectiveness of this cooperation model.
Speaking at the ceremony, Senator Thani Mohamed Soilihi, former Minister Delegate for Francophonie and International Partnerships under the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, emphasised the growing importance of the Francophone community in relations between France and Asia. He noted that sport fosters connectivity, inspires collaboration, and opens avenues for concrete projects such as club partnerships and youth athlete exchanges. The senator also referred to France’s preparations to host the 2030 Winter Olympics as a new opportunity to further strengthen cooperation within the Francophone space.
In a video message from Hanoi, French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet said the bilateral sports cooperation initiative was conceived during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Following discussions with the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Vietnam Olympic Committee, the two sides signed an official cooperation agreement in February 2025. The joint programme was launched with 200,000 EUR (approximately 236,000 USD) sourced from the priority fund of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
According to the French diplomat, the funding has helped build a solid institutional cooperation framework, organise bilateral exchange programmes, and transfer coaching-support software in building plans to enhance athletes’ capacity, which is now being used by several Vietnamese sports federations. Experts from France's National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance (INSEP) have also assessed demands and proposed cooperation directions in the coming time.
He highly valued the proactive role of AFS and its partners in Normandy in mobilising social resources and supporting Vietnamese athletes’ training in France. Notably, he noted that the gold medals won by Vietnamese athletes in the men’s 4x400m relay and fencing events at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand following their training in Normandy, helped Vietnam secure third place overall with 278 medals. This is seen as a positive signal for future cooperation.
Nguyen Hong Minh, Deputy Director of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, praised the role played by AFS after one year of operation, describing it as a strategic bridge helping promote professional exchanges, strengthen technical capacity, and shape a long-term cooperation framework.
Through coach and expert exchange programmes, as well as training camps and competition opportunities in France, Vietnamese athletes have gained access to more modern, scientific and systematic training methods.
Looking ahead to the Asian Games 2026, he said the two sides will further expand long-term training programmes and deepen cooperation in sports science, nutrition and sports medicine, stressing that future achievements will not only reflect individual efforts but also symbolise the close Vietnam–France cooperation.
Speaking at the ceremony, Co Minh Duc, Secretary General of AFS, said the association was established with the aim of contributing to the improvement of Vietnam’s Olympic performance, grounded in mutual trust and long-term commitment between partners from the two countries.
He stressed that only trust and a sustainable vision can underpin an organisation designed to operate for the long term — with a “100-year” development goal rather than short-term projects.
The choice of Normandy as a strategic cooperation hub, he added, is intended to build an effective model for supporting, training and accompanying Vietnamese sports, he added.
Duc expressed his hope that Vietnam could host the Games of La Francophoni in 2031, calling on partners across the Francophone community to support the bid.
He said that deeper engagement in major Francophone sporting events and a long-term ambition to host large-scale competitions, including the Olympic Games, would help elevate Vietnam’s sporting profile in the international arena while further deepening strategic cooperation between the two countries.
Since its establishment in late 2024, AFS has progressively implemented structured and in-depth cooperation programmes between France and Vietnam in high-performance sports./.
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