Vietnam to focus on boosting key sports in 2019 hinh anh 1National men's football team celebrates with the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup trophy (Photo: VNA)
 
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s sports sector will focus on developing major sports in 2019 to record higher achievements at the 30th Southeast Asian Games and the 10th Para Games in the Philippines, World Beach Games 2019 and Olympic and Paralympic 2020, as well as other regional and global sport games.

The plan was revealed by Vuong Bich Thang, Director of the National Administration of Sports and Physical Training at a conference in Hanoi on December 24 to review the agency’s performance in 2018 and launch its tasks for 2019.

Addressing the event, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien said that in 2019, the administration should focus on eight main tasks, including completing a plan to organise the 31st SEA Games in 2021, working with the Vietnam Football Federation to hold the Vietnam football tournament (Vietnamese League) in 2019, and improving sport facilities serving key sports.

The sector needs to concentrate on encouraging people to do exercise regularly, improving the achievements of athletes in major sports at regional, continental and global sport tournaments.

At the same time, it should strengthen coordination with media agencies to popularise key sports, the minister said.

Thang said that in 2018, the sector showed strong performance in State management, while giving advice to the building of legal documents and promoting the movement to do exercise among the population.

In the year, Vietnam won 386 gold medals with 27 medals at world tournaments, 80 at Asian competitions and 259 at Southeast Asian tournament. Besides, it bagged 296 silver and 235 bronze medals, he noted.-VNA
VNA