The Olympic Running Day for the health of the entire people on the occasion of Vietnam’s National Sports Day (March 27) is one of the particularly important events that the country’s sports industry still organizes every year to encourage, inspire and call all people to practise sports and exercise health. It is the 6th year when the sports industry implements this activity, and it is one of the key activities of mass sports in 2020.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Olympic day event was not held.
As scheduled, the Olympic running day for the health of the entire people in 2020 will be simultaneously organized in communes, wards, towns and public places in the area, which is convenient for gathering participants. The target is to reach over 85% of the total number of communes, wards and towns nationwide organizing the Olympic Running Day for the health of the entire people.
However, due to the unpredictable COVID-19 pandemic, for the first time, the event was not organized as planned. For Hanoi, the Olympic Running Day for the Health of the entire People is associated with the Launching Ceremony of the 47th Open New Newspaper for Peace in 2020, scheduled to be held in late March 2020. The launching ceremony of this year which will be expanded, worthy of being a key activity of the capital’s sports was also postpone.
In addition to the influence on the Olympic Running Day for the health of the entire people, the plan to organize a month of physical training and sports for everyone on the occasion of the 74th anniversary of the Vietnamese Traditional Sports March 27 was also postponed indefinitely nationwide.
It can be said that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, sports in the country suffered so much sadness and anxiety in its anniversary. Due to this pandemic, after the Lunar New Year, many professional activities in sports in the national system were completely postponed, seriously affecting the professional preparation of many athletes and coaches around the country.
The national championship football tournament, taking place without audience, must also be postponed after the first 2 rounds.
Since February, many sports of all ages have been postponed. Preliminary statistics based on the monthly plan of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training shown that at least 13 high-performance sports tournaments, 5 national referee training courses have been postponed. International training plans for 9 national teams have also been forced to adjust as an exit to pandemic areas poses a lot of risks.
V.League – the tournament, that has received the most attention of the majority of the home fans and started in a rather gloomy atmosphere with no audience, was also closed after 2 rounds. In the context that the funding of most teams is extremely limited, most of the teams are unable to cover their own operating expenses, Vietnamese football has never faced many difficulties as currently.
Not only football, due to the complicated development of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the sports industry also had to temporarily suspend all sports tournaments in the national competition system in March, and cancel plans for sending teams and National sports teams to be trained and compete abroad and the delegation of officials for oversea business until the end of March. Also, the National Sports Training Centers apply strict management measures for the athletes and coaches, prohibit the training subjects at the Center until the disease situation is under control.
Along with that, more sadly, since the beginning of, many competitions for Olympic seats have been canceled or postponed, making the goal of winning 20 tickets to Olympic 2020 of Vietnam Sports more difficult to be achieved. Most recently, due to the bad effects of COVID-19, the Tokyo Olympic Games was officially postponed and moved to the summer of 2021. This will result in Vietnamese sports’ a busy second half of 2021 to participate in the Tokyo Olympics and prepare for the position as the host of SEA Games 31 and Para Games 11. This is also an opportunity for athletes to have time to train and compete for two Games, but also cause difficulties for the sports industry.
However, regardless of where the training is and how the international competition schedule has changed, the sports industry has determined that, at the time of this pandemic, the assurance of health safety for coaches, experts and athletes is set as the top priority.
Athletes, coaches and experts cannot enter to exercise in Sports Centers.
Currently, to ensure this safety, since March 11, the General Department of Sports and Physical Education has issued a written request to the Training Centers to “ban” coaches and athletes. For coaches and athletes returning from abroad, they must carry out the medical declaration procedure with the competent agencies and isolate 14 days as prescribed.
As noted, in recent days, the Hanoi Training and Exercise Center has almost isolated itself from the outside and promoted the self-management role of the subjects. The Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center has more than 30 sports with nearly 3,000 athletes so the management must be clearly divided. Accordingly, all subjects are under “banning”. Participants are not allowed to go out, but eat, sleep, rest, practice and study within the campus. Athletes can go home only when it is necessary and they obtain the consent of the families. Depending on the age of the athletes, the centers have different solutions. For example, the young one who may be “banned” at home; those who return from home to the centers have to report the schedule as well as undergo a medical examination to ensure the safety.
The global pandemic of COVID-19 is still breaking out in many countries around the world, which has also caused the delay of the Hanoi Formula 1. 2020 is the first year Vietnam becomes one of 22 countries hosting the most professional and attractive automobile race on the planet; the delay of the organization is a difficult decision of the Organizing Board and the Hanoi government. In preparation for the Hanoi F1, VGPC, with the support of the Capital, made an effort to invest in the construction of infrastructure and technology to meet the most stringent requirements of F1 and FIA. The Formula 1 racetrack in My Dinh has now been completed and put into operation in accordance with international standards.
The decision on suspension of the Hanoi Formula 1 race (expected to take place from April 3 to April 5, 2020) has been made after many discussions and deliberations between FIA, Formula One World Championship Ltd – the owner of Formula 1 (F1) copyright, Hanoi People’s Committee and VMA, and approved by Vietnam Grand Prix Company (VGPC).
COVID-19 made Hanoi F1 race impossible to be conducted as planned.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic is currently undergoing complex developments and the World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic. Therefore, the VinFast Formula 1 of Vietnam Grand Prix must be postponed to ensure the safety of citizens, visitors, racing teams and accompanying units.
FIA, F1, Hanoi People’s Committee, VMA and VGPC will continue to closely coordinate and monitor the progress of the COVID-19 pandemic to select other times, which are safe and suitable for the race and will promptly notify the public. Policies related to customers, companions and partners of VGPC will also be notified as soon as possible.
Minh Thanh