Roadmap to restore regional status for athletics

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has just approved the Project for the Development of Vietnam Athletics for the period 2030-2045 (referred to as the Project). This is a strategic project for a sport that has appeared on the international arena since the early days of integration.

Accordingly, in addition to setting professional goals such as leading the SEA Games, winning at least 2 gold medals at each Asiad from 2030 onwards, and stabilizing official Olympic spots from 2028, the Project also identifies athletics as a fundamental sport , playing a key role in the national sports system.

Therefore, instead of focusing on short-term achievements, the Project aims for a comprehensive vision, closely linking community physical improvement with the goal of conquering international arenas. It is a harmonious combination of extensive movement development and intensive investment for high achievements, creating a solid and long-term foundation.

The project has many new directions, especially promoting the role of the community, something that current marathon races are doing very well. This approach is considered a suitable change in the context of Vietnamese athletics showing signs of decline, after three consecutive times topping the SEA Games 29, 30 and 31.

At the 32nd SEA Games, we failed to achieve our goal, allowing the Thai track and field team to regain the top spot. The track and field team also failed to win a medal at the 19th Asian Games and did not qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. After the golden generation of Nguyen Thi Huyen, Nguyen Thi Oanh, etc., the strong events (middle and long distance running) have yet to see a successor. Not to mention, dozens of other events lack talented athletes despite having won Asian medals in high jump and long jump.

Up to this point, we have only organized no more than two national tournaments each year, while the local championship system has disappeared, seriously affecting the school sports movement, where talented athletes such as Nguyen Duy Bang (high jump) or Pham Dinh Khanh Doan (middle distance running) were discovered. Therefore, although it is a popular sport, easy to access and practice, our top athletics is still in a long-term concentrated mode, using state budget money.

Currently, the training infrastructure of athletics is lacking and outdated, while promotional activities and sponsorship campaigns are almost non-existent, making it very difficult to discover talent. Fortunately, the running movement and the recent boom of dozens of marathons across the country have proven that, with the right approach and professional management, athletics will still attract a large number of participants. When developing a widespread movement and attracting the community, athletics can partially solve the financial problem.

On the other hand, restoring athletics competitions in schools, with many competitions that are easily accessible to students from primary school level and with a not-too-large investment budget, is the most suitable way to implement the Project. In addition, the feasibility of the Project also depends on the initiative and innovation capacity of the management agency.

However, those working in domestic sports still hope that when the Project reaches its finish line, athletics will be a pioneer in inspiring and providing many valuable lessons to help other sports thrive.

YEN PHUONG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/lo-trinh-khoi-phuc-vi-the-khu-vuc-cho-dien-kinh-post811821.html