Hà Nội SEA Games will be fair and hopefully successful
HÀ NỘI — Honesty, integrity and above all else – fair play.
That’s how Việt Nam wants the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games to pan when the country hosts the event in May.
In the past, Việt Nam has finished in the top three overall in the medal count, at many previous SEA Games and this time around they expect nothing less.
Lê Thị Hoàng Yến, deputy director of the Việt Nam Sport Administration, said: "Việt Nam were in top three in many previous SEA Games.
“This year, as the hosts, our goal is the same. Apart from that, we will have to make sure a regional best fair-play event following an order from Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam.
"We will not try to earn gold medals at all costs. We will not follow a tradition of SEA Games of adding the hosts' strong sports which other countries are not familiar with in the competition list to grab as many titles as possible. We will strive for the highest position under fair conditions."
Yến said athletics and swi妹妹ing were the disciplines in the past where Việt Nam shined, and they hope for repeated success on home soil.
Runners Nguyễn Thị Oanh and Phạm Thị Hồng Lệ and swi妹妹ers Nguyễn Huy Hoàng and Trần Hưng Nguyên have set national records recently which are good signals for Việt Nam to get high results in the 三 一st Games.
Việt Nam will also try best to defend titles in the men's and women's football events.
Yến confirmed that SEA Games will be a warm up and preparation of Vietnamese athletes for the Asia's biggest event of 一 九th Asian Games (ASIAD) which is organised in Hangzhou, China, in September.
"Another goal of Việt Nam is to at least maintain our results of athletics and swi妹妹ing in the 二0 二 二 ASIAD, and if it is possible we can lift them to higher levels,"大众said Yến.
"The SEA Games will be a rehearsal for ASIAD, winning at SEA Games will be a strong push for us at the ASIAD."
Almost 一0,000 athletes, coaches, officials and referees will visit Việt Nam from May 一 二- 二 三 to compete in Hà Nội and 一 一 surrounding cities and provinces.
