On 27 March 1946, President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree No.38 to establish the Deaprtment of the Youth and Physical Exercises under the National Ministry of Education in order to enhance sporting and phycisal activities and directly steer the physical education. On the same day, President Ho Chi Minh called on the entire people to do physical exercises. In which he wrote: “to maintain democracy, construct our nation and create a new life, in order for anything done successfully good health is needed. Each weak citizen is to mean making the whole nation in part weaker; each strong citizen is to make a contribution to the stronger nation as a whole. For that reason, practising physically and improving health are obligations of each patriotic citizen,.. Strong people make a prosperous nation. I call on all our countrymen to make every effort in doing physical exercises. I myself do it everyday”. His appeal became the first viewpoint of important significance based on which Viet Nam had built a sports and physical sector full of national, scientific and people features. On 29 January 1991, the Council of Ministers issued Decision No. 25/CT on taking the day of 27 March as “ Viet Nam Sports Day”. “ Viet Nam Sports Day ” has been annually celebrated with the aim of calling on people from all walks of life to take part in the health building movement and development of sports and physical exercises nationwide.
Facts affirmed that 70-year establishment and growth of the sports and physical sector of Viet Nam has been constantly associated with the history of national development. At each revolutionary stage, The Party and State has formulated various Resolutions, Directives and Legal Documents for leading and guiding the sports and physical work, namely: Directive No. 17-CT/TW dated 23 October 2002 by the Political Bureau (IX th Legislature) on development of sports and physical work by 2010; Decision No. 100/2005/QD dated 10 May 2005 by the Prime Minister to approve of the Programme for Development of Sports and Physical Exercises at commune, sub-district and town levels by 2010; Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW dated 01 December 2011 by the Political Bureau on “Enhancing the Party’s leadership, creating a strong pace of development in sports and physical exercises by 2020”; Decision No. 2198/QD-TTg dated 03 December 2010 by the Prime Minister to approve of the Strategy for Sports and Physical Exercises for Viet Nam by 2020..
For the last 70 years, Viet Nam sports has beeng on impetus of its development. The high-achievement sports has gradually gained its firm foothold with many medals on the world arenas such as at Olympics, Asiads, SEA Games as well as other international major tournaments, for instance Olympic silver medal obtained by Taekwondo athlete Ms Tran Hieu Ngan at Olympic Sydney 2000, weight-lifting athlete Hoang Anh Tuan at Olympic Beijing 2008, or maintaining the position in the TOP 3 at the SEA Games… Other than that is the development of sports and physical mass movement in an intensive and extensive manner, which has drawn a wide range of the public participation, bringing the rate of regular sports and physical practitioners to 25.49% and sports practising family households to 16.6%. These outcomes have contributed to hightening Viet Nam’s sports stature, uplifting health and physical quality among the Vietnamese people, building a and civilized cultural life healthy, stepping up socio-economic development, driving Viet Nam’s sports to fast move forward in the process of world integration.
The path of 70-year establishment and development has brought Viet Nam’s sports to reach a higher plane. The two words of Viet Nam are no longer strange on the international sports arenas by worth to be proud results achieved by the Vietnamese athletes. Additionally, Viet Nam has been known among the international friends for successfully hosting the mega sports events like SEA Games 22, Asian Indoor Games 3. This is preparatory steps for Viet Nam’s sports to go further on the path of international integration, conquering the Olympic peaks.
Opening ceremony of Asian Indoor Games 3 in Viet Nam.
Phu Dong Health Sports Games VIII in Ha Noi
Viet Nam sports athlete delegation parades at Opening Ceremony of SEA Games 28 in Singapore.
Athlete Nguyen Thi Anh vien – “Golden girl”of Viet Nam sports.
Phuong Linh