Minister Nguyen Van Hung: Sports are not only for health but also have economic and cultural value.

That was the affirmation of Mr. Nguyen Van Hung - Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Sports held on October 16 in Hanoi.

ASEAN Sports Ministers Meeting takes place on October 16 in Hanoi - Photo: QUY LUONG

The 8th ASEAN Sports Ministers Meeting (AMMS) opened on the morning of October 16 under the chairmanship of Mr. Nguyen Van Hung - Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of host Vietnam.

The event brought together Ministers, Heads of Sports Delegations from 10 ASEAN member countries, Timor-Leste and representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat. The conference aimed to review sports cooperation for the 2021-2025 period and set the direction for the new Action Plan 2026-2030.

Speaking at the conference, Minister Nguyen Van Hung emphasized: "Sports is a bridge of peace , friendship and sustainable development. Through sports, we not only build a healthy community but also contribute to strengthening trust, solidarity and understanding among ASEAN peoples. Sports not only contribute to health but also bring economic, cultural and social values. This is proof that sports is a field that converges all factors for comprehensive human development."

Mr. Hung thanked the member states and the ASEAN Secretariat for their close cooperation during Vietnam's term as Chairman. He also affirmed that Vietnam will continue to promote joint initiatives, especially the effective implementation of the ASEAN-FIFA and ASEAN-WADA cooperation agreements and the completion of the ASEAN Action Plan on Sports 2026-2030.

Sports unite ASEAN

Ms. Le Thi Hoang Yen - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Sports Department, reported the results of the 15th and 16th ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting on Sports. Accordingly, in the 2021-2025 period, ASEAN countries have completed about 94% of the action plan targets on sports, including: Developing community sports, school sports, sports for people with disabilities and improving management and training capacity. Cooperation programs have been effectively implemented thanks to the support of dialogue partners such as: China, Japan, Korea, FIFA, WADA and many other international organizations.

These results contribute to affirming ASEAN as a cohesive, responsible community and oriented towards sustainable development through sports. Vietnam also emphasizes the role of sports in the national social welfare system, considering it an important tool to improve people's health, improve quality of life and spread a healthy lifestyle.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong presented a summary report of the results of SOMS 16 and new initiatives. In particular, it is clear that: Vietnam has completed the draft of the ASEAN - FIFA Memorandum of Understanding on football development and sports integrity, expected to be signed at the 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia in October 2025.

SEA Games is the largest sports festival of the ASEAN community - Photo: N.TRAN

ASEAN Sports Vision 2030

Regarding the ASEAN sports orientation for the period 2026-2030, Mr. Hoang Dao Cuong proposed 4 key priorities: Innovation in training coaches and athletes; Application of digital transformation in management and organization of sports events; Promotion of sustainable and environmentally friendly sports; Strengthening the role of sports in building a united, peaceful and prosperous ASEAN community.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Nagulendran Kangayatkarasu (Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Malaysia) presented the initiative to build the ASEAN Centre of Excellence for Sports Coaching.

This is considered a strategic initiative to improve the capacity of coaches, standardize professional qualifications and enhance the sharing of sports knowledge among member countries. Malaysia aims to turn this center into a "hub of excellence" - a leading sports training convergence point in the region, contributing to the building of a modern, sustainable and ASEAN-identified coaching ecosystem.

Besides, Malaysia also emphasized promoting the development of regional sports industry, linking sports with economy and tourism, expanding international cooperation, especially with FIFA and WADA.

The AMMS 8 Conference highly agreed with Vietnam's proposals and assessed that new initiatives will contribute to perfecting the comprehensive ASEAN sports cooperation framework, creating a foundation for the 2026-2030 development period.

Minister Nguyen Van Hung chaired the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports - Photo: QUY LUONG

The ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports (AMMS) has been held every two years since 2011. This is an important high-level forum promoting policy exchanges and actions in the field of sports among ASEAN member countries. In 2025, according to the rotation mechanism, Vietnam will assume the role of chair. The conference will take place from October 13 to 17 in Hanoi.

The series of events includes AMMS 8, SOMS 16, the 5th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports + Japan (AMMS + Japan 5), and the 2nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports + China (AMMS + China 2).

KHUONG XUAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bo-truong-nguyen-van-hung-the-thao-khong-chi-la-suc-khoe-ma-con-mang-gia-tri-kinh-te-van-hoa-202510161509529.htm