Vietnam on May 10 secured the gold medal in the men’s beach handball after beating the Philippines 2-1 at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

The hosts Vietnam completely won victory in five consecutive matches, scoring 10 points. Vietnam successfully defended their crown though they still have a match against Thailand on May 11.

At SEA Games 30 in the Philippines three years ago, Vietnam also brought home the gold medal.

With the victory, the men’s beach handball is expected to further develop in Vietnam in the coming time, head coach Trinh Huy Cuong said.

The matches are taking place in Ha Long city, home to UNESCO-recognised Ha Long Bay, in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

On May 10, Vietnamese divers Nguyen Quang Dat and Dang Hoang Tu won a bronze medal in the men’s 3m springboard after scoring 251.46 points.

In the category, Malaysia’s duo Jellson Bin Jabillin and Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya won the gold medal with 345.93 points, ahead of Jonathan Fan Keng and Max Lee Shen Oon from Singapore with 322.5 points.

A day earlier, diver Ngo Phuong Mai and her teammate Mai Hong Hanh also secured a silver medal for Vietnam after they achieved the second highest score in the women’s synchronised 3m springboard event.

After six out of eight events, Malaysia is taking the lead with six golds and two silvers, followed by Vietnam with two golds, two silvers and two bronzes.

Google Doodle honours Vietnamese surgeon Ton That Tung

Google on May 10 honoured doctor Ton That Tung, who has succeeded in researching a dry liver cutting method, commonly called “Ton That Tung method.”

Google featured a Doodle, a temporary alteration of the search engine’s logo, of the doctor on its homepage on May 10 to mark his 110th birthday.

Dr. Tung was born on May 10, 1912 in the north-central Vietnamese province of Thanh Hoa and grew up in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.

In 1958, he performed the first heart surgery in Vietnam.

In 1960s, he invented a new liver surgery method that minimized bleeding by tightening the hepatic veins before the operation, shortening the operation time down to only four to eight minutes. His groundbreaking technique, commonly known as the "Ton That Tung Method," is used by surgeons globally for its effectiveness in reducing blood loss and saving countless lives.

Tung published 63 works in French medical journals between 1936 and 1945.

Vietnam announces national winner of UPU letter writing competition 2022

A ninth-grade student from Hanoi won the first prize at the Universal Postal Union (UPU)’s 51st International Letter Writing Competition in Vietnam highlighting actions against climate change.

This year’s competition asks contestants to write a letter to someone influential urging he/she to take action against the climate crisis.

Deputy Minister of Information and Telecommunications Pham Anh Tuan, head of the organising board, said the contest was opened to students nationwide from November 2021 to March 2022, touching on a pressing topic. It was inspired by the 26th UN Climate Change (COP26) conference held in Glasgow, the UK last year, with many heads of state in attendance, Tuan said.

The theme provided an opportunity for students to speak about climate change, he said, adding that the organisers had received nearly 1 million letters written by students from 62 cities and provinces nationwide.

In his letter, Nguyen Binh Nguyen from Nguyen Tri Phuong Middle School, turns himself into a gust of wind to write to renowned pianist Dang Thai Son, sharing his idea of using music to inspire thoughts and actions on environmental protection. 

His letter will be translated into French before being submitted to the UPU in Switzerland.

The organisers also awarded three second and five third prizes as well as 30 honourable mentions. There were two special prizes for contestants with disabilities.

Disciplinary warning given to former Can Tho official

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on May 9 signed a decision on disciplinary action against Vo Thanh Thong, former chairman of the People’s Committee of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho in the 2016-2021 tenure.

In Decision No. 558/QD-TTg, the PM decided to issue a disciplinary warning to Thong, who is also Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, due to violations and shortcomings during his term.

The  Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission has applied Party discipline enforcement against Thong from January 19, 2022.

Previously, during its 11th session on January 12-13, 2022, the  Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission reviewed the inspection results when there were signs of violations of the Party Delegation of the Can Tho municipal People’s Committee for the 2016-2021 term. It found that the Party Delegation of the municipal People’s Committee had violated the Party's principles and regulations and working rules, shown a lack of responsibility, loosened leadership that resulted in wrongdoings in the procurement of medical equipment, medicines, and the repair and upgrade of hospitals.

Such violations caused serious consequences and huge damage to the State budget, hurt the prestige of the municipal Party organisations and administration.

Media centre for SEA Games 31 opens

The Main Press Centre (MPC) and the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) for the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) officially opened at the National Convention Centre on May 9.

Along with issuing press cards for domestic and foreign journalists covering SEA Games 31, the centre provides services for journalists, including IT and high-speed internet connections, vehicles, a media handbook, and other supporting services.

With an area of nearly 600 sq.m, the centre has functional rooms to meet the operational demands of domestic and foreign reporters.

The centre, which is equipped with 40 high-configuration laptops, can serve 200 reporters at the same time.

Meanwhile, the IBC covers more than 3,000 sq.m. Run by Vietnam Television (VTV) with the support of participating countries and international channels, it is the venue for the production of TV programmes for SEA Games 31.

France launches project to support Vietnam’s heritage conservation

The French Embassy in Vietnam on May 9 held a press conference launching a project named “Share and protect Vietnam’s heritage”.

The project receives a funding of 18 billion VND (784,300 USD) for activities during 2022-2024 from the French Government and partners such as museums, localities and universities.

Sophie Maysonnave, Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Activities at the French embassy, said the project will be carried out in three regions of Vietnam: renovating the Tourist Centre of Cuc Phuong National Park in the northern province of Ninh Binh, supporting for Environmental Education and Communication Centre in Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area in the central province of Quang Nam, and designing and implementing “Story Boxes” for museums in Ho Chi Minh City in the south.

The project’s activities include training courses for museum staffs, which will be taught by experts from France’s famous museums and universities.

Cooperation between the two countries’ museums will also be intensified through field trips to exchange experience in the European country.

SEA Games 31: Two Vietnamese kickboxers advance to semi-finals

Two Vietnamese kickboxers were declared winners of SEA Games 31’s quarter-finals, which took place on May 9 in the northern province of Bac Ninh.

Huynh Van Tuan defeated Khamsathone Khamphouvanh in the 51kg Full Contact men 3-0.

After the match, Tuan, who was the gold medallist at SEA Games 30, said he will do his utmost in the upcoming semi-final match, with determination to defend his title.

His teammate Nguyen Quang Huy also bagged a 3-0 victory over Chhut Vannthong of Cambodia in the 60kg Low Kick men.

Competitions will continue until May 13.

Vietnam highlights significance of peace in global development

Vietnam has highlighted the significance of maintaining peace for the promotion of global development at the high-level virtual meeting of the Group of Friends of Global Development Initiative (GDI), which was held in New York on May 9 with the theme “Deepening Cooperation under Global Development Initiative for Accelerated Implementation of the 2030 Agenda”.

The event was attended by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi, and Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Liu Zhenmin, among others.

Addressing the event, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, underlined that without peace, SDGs will not be achieved, adding that maintaining peace and stability is a prerequisite for post-pandemic recovery and development.

The Vietnamese representative stressed the need to uphold the spirit of peace, cooperation, transparency, openness, inclusiveness, equality and mutual benefit, and the respect to the principles of the UN Charter and international law, taking into account interests and cultural diversity of  member countries.

Ambassador Giang said developed countries should strengthen support to developing ones in terms of science-technology, digital technology, infrastructure development, capacity improvement and financial resources. The diplomat highlighted the role of the UN development system in sharing knowledge and expertise to assist developing countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda.

Regarding the operation of the Group of Friends in the time to come, Ambassador Giang held that the concerns and interests of the member countries should be fully considered during the negotiation and decision-making processes. At the same time, in order to achieve substantial outcomes, the group should consider a number of priority areas to focus on for each year, he said.

SEA Games 31: Philippines trounce Cambodia 5-0 in women’s football opener

The Philippines obtained a 5-0 victory over Cambodia in the first match of Group A in the women’s football at SEA Games 31 held in Quang Ninh north-eastern province on May 9.

Isabella Flaniga gave the Philippines the lead in the 27th minute.

The Philippine players continued their dominance in the second half and scored four more goals. They are among the favourites to win the gold medal at this year’s SEA Games and recently booked a berth at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

As Indonesia had withdrawn, Group A pools Cambodia, the Philippines and the hosts Vietnam. The teams will play in a round robin format to decide two qualifying for semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Group B comprises Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Singapore.

National-scale movement needed to encourage learning in society: official

As the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) is strongly affecting all socio-economic aspects, requiring each people to improve their all-round capacity, it is necessary to launch a national-scale emulation movement on promoting education and building a learning society, an official has said.

Prof. and Dr. Nguyen Thi Doan, former Vice President of Vietnam and Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association for Promoting Education (VAPE), has pointed out that the country is still facing many difficulties in meeting requirements of Industry 4.0 as natural resources are becoming exhausted, the population aging fast, and foreign official development assistance declining.

The most valuable asset now is human, she noted, adding that over the past years, the Party and State have taken numerous measures for improving people’s intelligence, specialised capacity, and comprehensive skills.

As of 2020, the Human Development Index of Vietnam grew by over 48 percent to rank 117 of the 189 listed countries. With the workforce accounting for 58 percent of the population, the Human Capital Index of Vietnam was among the highest in the East Asia - Pacific region.

However, the quality of human resources is still low compared to that in other countries while in Southeast Asia, Vietnam’s labour productivity is only higher than Cambodia’s and equivalent to just 7.6 percent of Singapore’s.

SEA Games 31: Thailand's U23 men's team win 5-0 over Singapore

Thailand’s U23 men’s squad earned three points after a comfortable 5-0 victory over Singapore in the second match of Group B at the ongoing SEA Games 31 on May 9 night.

Thailand had most of the chances in the first 45 minutes, none of which found the net. The team scored the first goal in the last minute of the first half from the penalty spot. 

The Thai players made the second goal just a few minutes into the second half, and continued raising the differences at the 51st, 67th and 81st minutes of the game.

Thailand gained three points after two matches while Singapore got only one.

Vietnam women’s football team determined to defend title

The women’s football team of Vietnam are aiming to defend their title at the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games 31, said coach Mai Duc Chung, according to the national SEA Games 31 organising committee.

Speaking at a press conference on May 8, Chung said the squad have been appreciated by experts and fans.

He expressed his pleasure that more and more teams are attending the women's football, noting that even Cambodia and Malaysia have prepared well for the regional event.

This is helping the women’s game develop, he said, adding that rivals Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines and Myanmar have invested and trained hard for the Games, so Vietnam must be well-prepared.

Notably, Thailand and Myanmar lost to Vietnam at the  2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, and lost the ticket to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup’s finals.

The Vietnamese squad will do their best to meet their goal of winning gold in the spirit of fair play, Chung said.

The Vietnamese squad will meet strong opponents from the Philippines in the first match, but coach Chung said that he is not worried.

“We are ready and well prepared for the match against the Philippines,” he said.

SEA Games 31: Cambodia beats Laos 4-1 in Group B match

Cambodia’s U23 men’s football team defeated their Lao rivals 4-1 in their second Group B match held at Nam Dinh’s Thien Truong Stadium on May 9 as part of the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.

The Cambodian team soon demonstrated their superiority over the opposition, scoring two goals just 13 minutes into the game. Both teams missed several chances afterwards so the first half ended 2-0 to Cambodia.

Entering the second half, the Cambodia players scored two more goals in the 63th and 71st minutes while Laos made only one goal in the 67th minute.

Group B comprises Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

Party Central Committee discusses building Party organisations, developing membership

The 13th Party Central Committee entered the fifth day of its ongoing 5th plenum on May 9, focusing on the project on building Party organisations and developing membership.

On behalf of the Politburo, Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Vo Van Thuong presided over the morning session.

In the afternoon, officials worked in groups to scrutinise a report on the leadership and intruction of the Politburo and the Secretariat in 2021; and a project on the establishment of provincial steering committees for the prevention and control of corruption and other negative phenomena.

Also in the afternoon, the Politburo held a meeting to look into the content discussed by the Party Central Committee on the 10-year implementation of the Resolution on continuing to reform land-related policies and laws in the period of comprehensive promotion of doi moi (renewal process); the 15-year implementation of the Resolution of the seventh session of the 10th Party Central Committee on agriculture, farmers and rural areas; and the 20-year implementation of the Resolution of the 9th Party Central Committee’s fifth plenum on continuing to reform, develop and improve the efficiency of the collective economy.

Quality accommodation arranged for SEA Games athletes

Preparations are in place to welcome thousands of athletes to the Games, including arranging accommodation and healthy dining options.

Fourteen international-standard hotels in Hanoi selected to host participants see this a golden chance to attract foreign visitors after the Games wrap up.

In a bid to ensure that athletes are housed in the best accommodation possible, the Hanoi Department of Tourism will carry out regular inspections at hotels before, during, and after the Games.

Accommodation bookings have increased sharply in Vietnam’s capital. SEA Games 31 has given new life to the local hospitality sector, which has been hit hard by COVID-19 for the past two years.

SEA Games 31: Photo exhibition spotlights Vietnam’s aspirations for victory

A photo exhibition themed "Khat vong chien thang” (Aspirations for victory) opened at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi on May 9 as part of activities to welcome the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

Jointly organised by the information and communications sub-committee for SEA Games 31 and Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the event features 500 photos selected from thousands of those archived at the VNA which spotlight outstanding Vietnamese athletes through nine editions of the regional event, from SEA Games 22 in 2003 to SEA Games 30 in 2019.

The photos clearly depict the bravery, confidence and determination of athletes who tried their best to make outstanding achievements, contributing to improving the position of Vietnam's sports in the regional and international arenas.

The most recent series highlighting SEA Games 30 held in the Philippines in 2019, where Vietnam surpassed expectations by finishing second overall with 98 gold, 85 silver and 105 bronze medals, just behind the Philippines. At the event, for the first time, Vietnam won gold in the men's football.

NA Vice Chairman pays tribute to former chairman of Cuban NA

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man led a delegation to the Cuba Embassy in Hanoi to pay tribute to Ricardo Alarcon de Quesada, former President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba.

Man expressed his grief over the death of Quesada.

“The Cuban Party, State, National Assembly and people have lost an unyielding leader and an experienced politician and diplomat. The Party, State and People of Vietnam have also lost an extremely close friend who made positive contributions to the special solidarity and cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba,” he wrote in the condolence book.

On behalf of the leaders of the Party, State, National Assembly and people of Vietnam, Man sent his deepest condolences to the Party, State, National Assembly and people of Cuba, as well as to the family of Ricardo Alarcon de Quesada.

Quesada is a leader with deep affection for Vietnam. He made active contributions to consolidating and expanding the fraternal solidarity, special cooperation, and mutual trust between the two countries. He paid an official visit to Vietnam as the Chairman of the National Assembly in June 2007./.

“Sparkling Night” concert to take place in capital

The “Sparkling Night” concert performed by the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB) will be held at the Hanoi Opera House on the evenings of May 14 and 15.

Inspired by love and romance from the dance of fairies, the emotional chase of lovers, and love-induced sadness, the musical event gathers leading Vietnamese opera singers such as Huy Duc, Dao To Loan, Trinh Thanh Binh, Tran Trang, and Bui Trang.

Under the lead of Conductor Dong Quang Vinh, the concert also sees the participation of the VNOB’s orchestra and choir as well as the international choir Hanoi Voices.

The show consists of two parts, namely ‘Overture A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and ‘World Famous Romances and Aria’.

Vietnamese pagodas in Thailand get Vietnamese nameplates

A ceremony was held on May 8 to attach Vietnamese nameplates to the Tam Bao (whose Thai name is Wat Aphay Phati Kram) and Ngoc Thanh (Wat Anna Duoikai Tralom Prachom Phatsakan) pagodas of the Vietnamese community in Thailand.

The event saw the attendance of Most Venerable Thich Thien Cu, head of Annamnikaya – the Vietnam Buddhist branch in Thailand, leaders of two central Thai provinces - Suphan Buri and Chachoengsao – where the two pagodas are located, and hundreds of Vietnamese expats in the country.

The two are among the oldest Vietnamese pagodas in Thailand. There are approximately 20 pagodas of Vietnamese origin in Thailand where overseas Vietnamese meet and exchange with each other, especially during the holidays.

Addressing the event, Ngo Trinh Ha, Vice chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs said Annamnikaya is one of the only two foreign Buddhist sects in Thailand.

The introduction and development of the Vietnamese Buddhist sect in Thailand and spiritual and worship activities in line with Vietnamese traditions, not only contribute to preserving the national cultural identity among the Vietnamese community in Thailand but also serve as a bridge connecting expatriates and people in the country, he said.

Kurash team eager for SEA Games 31

Vietnam’s kurash athletes are set to begin their competition at SEA Games 31 on May 10, vying for five out of the 10 gold medals of the tournament, according to the national steering committee for SEA Games 31.

In preparation for the biennial regional sport event on home turf, the squad had a training session in Uzbekistan and attended the Asian Kurash Championship in Tajikistan in March, winning one silver and three bronze.

Their head coach Nguyen Tuan Hoc said the five-gold target is suitable to the team’s capacity and the situations of their regional opponents.

Ten kurash weight classes across men’s and women’s categories are scheduled to last until May 13 at the Hoai Duc Gymnasium in Hanoi’s Hoai Duc district.

At the previous SEA Games 30 in the Philippines when the sport first appeared in the event, Vietnam won seven golds, one silver, and two bronzes.

Story-telling contest highlights Vietnam-Laos special friendship

A story-telling competition on Vietnam-Laos friendship was launched in Hanoi on May 9, as part of a special communications campaign for the 60th founding anniversary of the nations’ diplomatic relations (September 5, 1962-2022).  

Co-organised by the Vietnam-Laos and Laos-Vietnam Friendship Associations, the Lao Embassy in Vietnam, and Vietnam Times magazine, the contest receives entries in the forms of writing or video clips until August 31. All Vietnamese citizens with relations to Lao people are eligible to participate. Entries are to tell stories about the contestants’ keepsakes, which are required to be owned for at least five years.

Via the judges’ decisions and readers’ votes and shares on the official website of the competition, one special, five first, 15 seconds, 20 third and 30 consolation prizes will be awarded.

SEA Games 31: U23 Indonesia defeat Timor Leste 4-1

U23 Indonesia defeated Timor Leste 4-1 on May 10 in the qualifying round of group A men’s football at SEA Games 31. 

Striker Egy Maulana Vikri flicked the ball into the net of Timor Leste, opening the score for his team in the 16th minute. The Indonesian players continued to put pressure on their opponents, but they failed to score any more goals in the first half.

The Indonesian team continued to dominate the game in the second half and scored the second and third goals in the first and 58th minute.

Meanwhile, U23 Timor Teste chose to play defensively and counterattack. And it proved to be effective as player No. 10 Mouzinho de lima score a goal in the 68th minute, shortening the score to 1-3.

The Indonesia U23s counter-attacked quickly and raised the score to 4-1 in the 76th minute.

Both teams had some opportunities to score in the remaining time of the match but neither side succeeded.

SEA Games 31: Thai women’s football team thrash Singapore 3-0

The women’s football squad of Thailand on May 10 defeated Singapore 3-0 in a Group B match at Cam Pha Stadium in northern Quang Ninh province within the framework of SEA Games 31.

After losing to Vietnam and Taiwan in the 2023 World Cup's play-off round last February, Thailand returned to the region's largest sport event with a strong team to affirmed their position as champions for five times.

Meanwhile, Singapore have come back to SEA Games 31 after 19 years of absence.
 
Striker Kanyanat opened the score for Thailand in the 7th minute and Nutwadee secured the second goal just 10 minutes later. In the 21st minute, Chatchawan fixed the score at 3-0 for Thailand.

In the SEA Games 31 women’s football, seven squads are divided into two groups, with Vietnam, the Philippines and Cambodia in Group A, and Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Singapore in Group B.

In Group A, the Philippines trounced Cambodia 5-0 in their opener on May 9.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes