At the beginning of the meeting, Chairman Dang Ha Viet thanks and appreciates the contributions of Ms. Phan Tan Thanh Thao in the development of Swimming in Vietnam over the past time. In particular, the fact that Ms. Thanh Thao has developed standard and professional training methods and textbooks for swimming training for young groups, mainly focusing on children aged 2-5 years in Viet Nam, is very meaningful. This training program needs to be replicated and implemented more in many localities across the country in the coming time.
Leaders of the Sports Authority of Viet Nam, the Viet Nam Olympic Committee, functional units take photos with Expert and lecturer Phan Tan Thanh Thao (the third from left)
According to Chairman Dang Ha Viet, when applying the training program according to international criteria, but still suitable for the physical condition of Vietnamese people, it will limit and minimize drowning accidents every year.
Chairman Dang Ha Viet also said that swimming is a developed sport in Viet Nam. However, most of the swimming activities in schools or clubs are still applying the same training program for swimming and only differ in quantity (i.e. based on the age level of students and athletes to shorten or increase the training time) without a standard training program for each group of subjects such as children and teenagers,... Therefore, the German Olympic Committee has chosen Viet Nam as one of the Southeast Asian countries to implement the project, a program guiding training skills for drowning prevention, which is very good, necessary, and suitable for the current practical conditions in Viet Nam.
It is known that this project has also been successfully implemented in Thailand and Malaysia recently. In Vietnam, this project has been successfully implemented in two localities, Da Nang and Binh Duong, in September and October of this year. Earlier in 2023, this project was also implemented effectively and made a good impression at several international schools in Ho Chi Minh City.
The scene of the meeting
After a period of working in Vietnam on this program as well as collaborating and researching some issues related to swimming in Viet Nam now, Ms. Thanh Thao believes that Viet Nam is a country with great potential to develop swimming, and reaching among the top in Southeast Asia. Because the swimming movement in Viet Nam is quite developed, many promising young swimming talents have emerged at a very young age. Vietnamese youth participate in swimming training with a very diligent spirit, serious attitude, and a desire to learn. This will be a great advantage to develop young swimming talents in Viet Nam, thereby laying the foundation for strong development of elite sports.
Ms. Phan Tan Thanh Thao emphasized: The project and training support program for swimming hosted by the German Olympic Committee has been implemented in Viet Nam for a few years, but through practical surveys and teaching, it has shown that the demand for sports training in general and swimming in Viet Nam is different from European countries. Because most of people in Viet Nam engage in sports training primarily for entertainment purposes, starting when they have already passed the golden age (the stage of basic training and initial coaching from a young age), this will limit the achievements of recreational athletes as well as elite athletes.
To ensure the swimming sport in Viet Nam develops strongly and effectively in the coming time, Chairman Dang Ha Viet expressed the desire to continue receiving support and cooperation from the German Olympic Committee, the World Aquatics, and the German Swimming Federation in both elite training (experts, coaching, technology science, etc.) as well as in building and sharing international standard programs and lesson plans for swimming guidance in grassroots sports at clubs and schools.
To ensure that these proposals and cooperation programs achieve their expected goals soon, Mr. Tran Van Manh – Secretary-General of the Viet Nam Olympic Committee believes that the swimming unit and the Viet Nam Aquatic Sports Association need to quickly develop specific programs to request support for cooperation.
Viet Nam is assessed as a country with significant potential and advantages for developing swimming. However, to receive accurate and effective cooperation and support programs, the swimming unit and the Viet Nam Aquatic Sports Association must conduct precise evaluations and practical surveys. That will be the basis for the German Olympic Committee and the German Aquatics Federation to develop the most appropriate coordination and support programs.
Huyen Trang