Deputy Minister Hoàng Đạo Cương warmly welcomed President Andrew Parsons to visit the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and expressed his honour in hosting the highest leader of the global Paralympic governing body. The Deputy Minister hopes that after this visit by President Andrew Parsons, para-sports in Vietnam will reach a new height in both achievements and movement.
Sharing some information about the Vietnam Paralympic Committee, Deputy Minister Hoàng Đạo Cương stated: The Vietnam Paralympic Committee, formerly known as the Vietnam Disabled Sports Association, was established in 1995. Through three stages of formation and development, the movement of sports for people with disabilities has been present in 45 out of 63 provinces and cities, with about 33–35 localities regularly sending athletes to participate in national competitions. Each year, more than 1,300 athletes compete and over 25,000 people with disabilities participate in sports training.
Vietnamese para-sports are gradually asserting their position on the international sports stage. Vietnamese athletes with disabilities have made their mark at many Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games, and especially at the recent three Paralympics. Notably, at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, the Vietnamese disabled sports delegation won 1 gold medal, 1 silver medal, and 2 bronze medals, ranking 55th out of 162 countries and territories – the highest achievement in the history of Vietnamese disabled sports.
Commending the notable achievements as well as the efforts of Vietnamese athletes with disabilities, Deputy Minister Hoàng Đạo Cương also shared with President Andrew Parsons the difficulties that Vietnamese para-sports face in the process of asserting their position.
Accordingly, Vietnam does not yet have a source of young athletes with disabilities. The conditions regarding training facilities are still very limited, lacking synchronisation and professionalism. The team of coaches and collaborators is still lacking, and their ability to engage with activities for people with disabilities is limited; there is still a shortage of coaches with advanced training levels, which does not meet the current needs. The team for disability classification is small, and their professional competence and foreign language skills do not meet the required standards.
From this reality, Deputy Minister Hoàng Đạo Cương expressed his desire for President Andrew Parsons and the International Paralympic Committee to support infrastructure, sports equipment, and projects promoting the Paralympic movement in Vietnam, creating more opportunities for Vietnamese athletes with disabilities to compete internationally towards the 2028 Summer Paralympics in the USA, and enhancing specialised training for the classification medical team.
President Andrew Parsons expressed his delight in visiting Vietnam and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism during his trip to seven countries in the Asian region. Appreciating the results achieved during the working session with the Vietnam Paralympic Committee held on the morning of May 15, President Andrew Parsons happily stated that he has somewhat grasped the difficulties and challenges of Vietnamese para-sports, and from there, through specialised channels, he aims to develop solutions to address and overcome them.
One of the issues that President Andrew Parsons wants to improve is changing the perception of people with disabilities. This is not an issue that exists only in Vietnam but in many countries. To address this issue, strong involvement from the press and media is needed. The International Paralympic Committee has made great efforts to improve this issue through the events it organises, especially with the contribution of the press and media.
"When the public witnesses the performances of Paralympic athletes, it goes beyond just the competition; it also shows that people with disabilities can achieve extraordinary things." These positive values will quickly spread to other people with disabilities, giving them the motivation to integrate and become a part of the community. The 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing and the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo are prime examples of the change in community perspectives towards people with disabilities after these events," emphasised President Andrew Parsons.
President Andrew Parsons also shared the view that the International Paralympic Committee is ready to support Vietnamese media in its events to spread this message more strongly.
To realise the discussion contents, President Andrew Parsons stated: The International Paralympic Committee will closely coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Vietnam Paralympic Committee to aim for a new chapter in the bilateral cooperation, in order to promote the development of sports for the disabled in Vietnam not only in terms of achievements but also in the grassroots movement.
Vietnamese para-sports are expected to reach new heights in both achievements and movements.
That was the wish expressed by Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoàng Đạo Cương during the meeting with the President of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons, on the afternoon of May 15, in Hanoi. Also present were Deputy Director of the Sports Authority Lê Thị Hoàng Yến and Chairman of the Vietnam Paralympic Committee Huỳnh Vĩnh Ái.
Deputy Minister Hoàng Đạo Cương warmly welcomed President Andrew Parsons to visit the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and expressed his honour in hosting the highest leader of the global Paralympic governing body. The Deputy Minister hopes that after this visit by President Andrew Parsons, para-sports in Vietnam will reach a new height in both achievements and movement.
Sharing some information about the Vietnam Paralympic Committee, Deputy Minister Hoàng Đạo Cương stated: The Vietnam Paralympic Committee, formerly known as the Vietnam Disabled Sports Association, was established in 1995. Through three stages of formation and development, the movement of sports for people with disabilities has been present in 45 out of 63 provinces and cities, with about 33–35 localities regularly sending athletes to participate in national competitions. Each year, more than 1,300 athletes compete and over 25,000 people with disabilities participate in sports training.
Vietnamese para-sports are gradually asserting their position on the international sports stage. Vietnamese athletes with disabilities have made their mark at many Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games, and especially at the recent three Paralympics. Notably, at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, the Vietnamese disabled sports delegation won 1 gold medal, 1 silver medal, and 2 bronze medals, ranking 55th out of 162 countries and territories – the highest achievement in the history of Vietnamese disabled sports.
Commending the notable achievements as well as the efforts of Vietnamese athletes with disabilities, Deputy Minister Hoàng Đạo Cương also shared with President Andrew Parsons the difficulties that Vietnamese para-sports face in the process of asserting their position.
Accordingly, Vietnam does not yet have a source of young athletes with disabilities. The conditions regarding training facilities are still very limited, lacking synchronisation and professionalism. The team of coaches and collaborators is still lacking, and their ability to engage with activities for people with disabilities is limited; there is still a shortage of coaches with advanced training levels, which does not meet the current needs. The team for disability classification is small, and their professional competence and foreign language skills do not meet the required standards.
From this reality, Deputy Minister Hoàng Đạo Cương expressed his desire for President Andrew Parsons and the International Paralympic Committee to support infrastructure, sports equipment, and projects promoting the Paralympic movement in Vietnam, creating more opportunities for Vietnamese athletes with disabilities to compete internationally towards the 2028 Summer Paralympics in the USA, and enhancing specialised training for the classification medical team.
President Andrew Parsons expressed his delight in visiting Vietnam and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism during his trip to seven countries in the Asian region. Appreciating the results achieved during the working session with the Vietnam Paralympic Committee held on the morning of May 15, President Andrew Parsons happily stated that he has somewhat grasped the difficulties and challenges of Vietnamese para-sports, and from there, through specialised channels, he aims to develop solutions to address and overcome them.
One of the issues that President Andrew Parsons wants to improve is changing the perception of people with disabilities. This is not an issue that exists only in Vietnam but in many countries. To address this issue, strong involvement from the press and media is needed. The International Paralympic Committee has made great efforts to improve this issue through the events it organises, especially with the contribution of the press and media.
"When the public witnesses the performances of Paralympic athletes, it goes beyond just the competition; it also shows that people with disabilities can achieve extraordinary things." These positive values will quickly spread to other people with disabilities, giving them the motivation to integrate and become a part of the community. The 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing and the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo are prime examples of the change in community perspectives towards people with disabilities after these events," emphasised President Andrew Parsons.
President Andrew Parsons also shared the view that the International Paralympic Committee is ready to support Vietnamese media in its events to spread this message more strongly.
To realise the discussion contents, President Andrew Parsons stated: The International Paralympic Committee will closely coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Vietnam Paralympic Committee to aim for a new chapter in the bilateral cooperation, in order to promote the development of sports for the disabled in Vietnam not only in terms of achievements but also in the grassroots movement.
Delighted by the goodwill expressed by President Andrew Parsons, Deputy Minister Hoàng Đạo Cương hopes that after President Andrew Parsons' visit, with the attention and facilitation of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the support and companionship of the International Paralympic Committee, Vietnamese para-sports will have more opportunities to develop further in both achievements and movements, surpassing the current figure of 30,000 regular practitioners.
Huyen Trang