Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam will see 28 athletes competing in eight sports at the World Games 2025, which will be held from August 7 to 17 in China.
Tournament organisers have sent a letter to confirm Vietnamese competitors' participation in aerobics, women's beach handball, billiards, petanque, kickboxing, Muay Thai, wushu, and jujitsu.
In aerobics, Vietnam will compete in the trio and team events. The national team are among the world's best in the latter event, as they won the world championship title in 2023 and the silver medal in 2024.
The women's beach handball competition will take place in Chengdu. Vietnam are also a force to be reckoned with in handball, after winning three Asian championship trophies from 2023 to 2025.
Tran Quyet Chien and Phung Kien Tuong will be the Vietnamese representatives in billiards.
It will be Chien's third time in this arena. After two quarter-final finishes, he is expected to take the highest position due to his current world standing.
The most successful billiards player in Vietnam’s history placed No 1 in the world in 2024 and currently sits in third place. The 41-year-old won four World Cup titles and just won silver at the World Cup Ankara in June.
General Secretary of the Vietnam Billiards and Snooker Federation Doan Tuan Anh said Vietnam aim to win a medal at this year's World Games, adding that it is time for Chien to take the top podium, while his female teammate Tuong is expected to place in the top three.
In petanque, Vo Minh Luan and Kim Thi Thu Thao will vie for the highest result. Thaao is under heavier pressure, as she is the reigning champion from the Asian championship women's doubles event.
Martial arts are Vietnam’s strong point in many international sport festivals, and this competition will likely be no exception. This year, the country's wushu, kickboxing and Muay Thai teams are widely expected to win medals.
While Asian silver medallist Trieu Thi Phuong Thuy will make a debut in kickboxing and World Beach Games champion Nguyen Thi Minh Vuong will do the same in jujitsu, competitors in wushu and Muay Thai will try to defend their titles.
Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat will defend his Muay Thai crown in the men's 57kg, which he claimed four years ago in the US. The seven-time world champion said he was intensively training in preparation for the tournament.
Meanwhile in wushu, Duong Thuy Vi hopes to beat her challengers to remain in the top spot in the women's qiangshu and jianshu event.
Other medal hopefuls include Huynh Do Dat, Nguyen Huy Hoang, Ngo Phuong Nga and Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy in the sanda (fighting), and Dang Tran Phuong Nhi and Nong Van Huu in the taolu (performance) competitions.
The 2025 World Games, the 12th edition of the tournament, includes sports and sporting disciplines that are not involved in the Olympic Games.
This is the first World Games to be held under guidelines set by the strategy paper 'Growth Beyond Excellence', the third edition to be held in Asia, and the first time China will be hosting the competition.
The Chengdu event will feature athletes from 118 countries and regions. They will compete in 34 sports, with 253 sets of medal up for grabs.
Vietnam took two golds and placed 31st in the last Games./.
