Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has agreed to ​exempt visa fee for individuals participating in the 5th Asian Beach Games (ABG-5) in central Da Nang resort city from September 24-October 3.

He assigned the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to work with the Ministry of Security, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to implement the decision.

The ABG-5 will host events in marathon swimming, water polo, kabaddi, men's beach football, volleyball, handball, three-a-side basketball, sepak takraw (rattan-ball kicking), beach martial arts (wrestling, sambo, jujitsu, kurash, pencak silat, vovinam, muay Thai and Vietnamese traditional martial arts), shuttlecock kicking, petanque (iron ball bowling), bodybuilding, bowles (wooden ball), rowing and athletics.

The event attracts about 3,000 athletes from 45 countries and territories worldwide, rivaling in 14 categories.

Initiated by the Olympic Council of Asia, the ABG first took place in 2008 in Bali, Indonesia and has been held every two years since.

This will be Vietnam’s first time hosting the Games, a multi-sport Asian-level competition. It has already hosted the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in 2009 and the ASEAN-level competition in the 2003 Southeast Asian Games.

VNA