General Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration Tran Duc Phan chaired a working session with a delegation from the Republic of Korea (RoK) led by Kwon Kun-sang, Director of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, in Hanoi on June 2 to discuss the development of baseball in Vietnam.

Phan, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam Baseball and Softball Federation, said established just two years ago, the federation successfully organised the first national baseball championship in late July 2022, marking an important turning point for the potential professional development of baseball in Vietnam.

In Vietnam, baseball was first introduced in Ho Chi Minh City over 10 years ago through some foreign entrepreneurs, and later with the assistance of experts from Japan and the RoK who provided support in field design and basic baseball training, Phan said.

The sport has been growing strongly in Ho Chi Minh City, with the establishment of training facilities attracting young people, especially foreign entrepreneurs, he said.

According to the official, the biggest challenge now is the shortage of proper-standard training fields. Hence, the federation wished for cooperation from the public, domestic and foreign business organisations to provide the necessary training and professional competition conditions for Vietnam’s baseball sector.

Kwon, for his part, said baseball is one of the popular sports in the RoK.

The RoK is eager and committed to assisting Vietnam in promoting the development of baseball, both in terms of amateur and professional levels, he said./. VNA