Vietnam will focus on developing major Olympic and Asian sports in the hope of elevated standing on the international stage, said a senior official from the General Department of Sports and Physical Training.



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Mr. Vuong Bich Thang.



Vuong Bich Thang, head of the department, made the statement during a conference in Hanoi on January 8 on preparations for the 28th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 28) scheduled for Singapore from June 5-16 this year.

Regional athletes will compete in 36 sports for 402 categories, deputy head of the department Tran Duc Phan said, adding 500 Vietnamese athletes vie for 27 sports.

The regional event presents a good opportunity for Vietnam to prepare athletes for games on the global stage, such as Olympic qualifications and the fifth Asia Beach Games (ABC5) in 2016 in Vietnam’s central province of Khanh Hoa, Vietnam, according to Phan.

He stressed further investment for athletes’ practice.

VNA