Vietnamese athletes amassed 222 gold medals at international sports competitions in the first six months of 2015, according to the General Department of Sports and Physical Training.

Of those gold medals, 11 were won at world sports tournaments, 13 came from Asian competitions, 185 from Southeast Asian contests and 13 from other international championships.

In the first half of the year, the country’s sports-governing body coordinated with provinces and cities to organise 80 national and international sports tournaments and 15 training classes for coaches and umpires.

The department also prepared athletes for the 8th Southeast Asian Para Games – which will take place from December 3-9, the Summer Olympics 2016 and the Para Olympics 2016.

The department is working with Da Nang to prepare for the Asian Beach Games which will be held in the city in 2016.

The sports sector also equipped 4,500 officials and employees in communes, wards and towns with sports expertise.-VNA