At the meeting, both sides candidly acknowledged the current state of the medical environment for elite athletes in Viet Nam. Currently, in Viet Nam, the national sports training centers still lack specialized medical equipment, especially musculoskeletal ultrasound machines – an essential tool for screening injuries that are very common in elite sports in Japan.
In reality, the lack of proactive screening facilities makes it difficult for coaches to identify injury symptoms early. Many athletes have to retire early because they return to training too soon before fully recovering, as the current diagnostic process mainly relies on X-rays, which are difficult to use for detailed assessment of muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
Deputy Director Nguyễn Hồng Minh spoke at the working session.
Speaking at the meeting, a representative from Konica Minolta expressed the desire to introduce this musculoskeletal ultrasound technology into the athlete care process in Viet Nam. Konica Minolta currently holds the largest market share in Japan in the field of musculoskeletal ultrasound technology. This technology has outstanding advantages: real-time diagnosis thru visual observation of muscle and tendon movements to detect the smallest abnormalities.
In addition, it helps to carry out proactive prevention work in the most effective way. Specifically, conduct regular screenings to detect potential injuries such as soft tissue inflammation or abnormal angiogenesis (through Doppler signals).
In addition, this technology also provides a scientific basis for the injury recovery process of each athlete, such as: providing objective parameters to help athletes and coaches decide the safe time to return to competition.
The collaboration between Vietnamese Sports and Konica Minolta will pave the way for a breakthrough in the cooperation between Viet Nam and Japan in the field of Sports Medicine.
Appreciating the proposal from Japan, Deputy Director Nguyễn Hồng Minh affirmed the importance of modernizing sports medicine. Accordingly, Mr. Nguyễn Hồng Minh emphasized: "We very much hope that Konica Minolta will support the implementation of training and refresher courses to enhance the qualifications of Vietnamese sports doctors, especially in transferring experience and expertise in treating injuries, rehabilitation, and health and nutrition care for athletes."
The Deputy Director also suggested that the two sides should not only stop at exchanging equipment but also need to build a long-term roadmap: "To implement specific tasks, both sides need a legal mechanism, a framework, and a coordination plan." I hope that both sides will develop a cooperation plan not only for the short term but possibly for a period of 3 to 5 years, with the immediate goal of signing a cooperation framework for 2026 to implement specific activities such as in-depth training and ultrasound technology transfer. In addition, Vietnamese sports are very eager to receive support in medical equipment for injury treatment, rehabilitation, and nutrition from Japan for the Viet Nam Sports Delegation during their participation in ASIAD 20 in Japan in October 2026
Overview of the meeting
Acknowledging the proposals from the Sports Authority, a representative from Konica Minolta committed to planning specialized training courses on ultrasound techniques and new treatment methods from top Japanese doctors (KOLs) for the Vietnamese Sports Medical team in the near future.
Along with that, an image archiving system (PACS) will be established to monitor the athletes' injury history from training to treatment at the hospital.
Concluding the meeting, Deputy Director Nguyễn Hồng Minh affirmed that improving the quality of Sports Medicine and injury prevention is a key factor in protecting athlete resources, aiming for higher achievements in international arenas such as the SEA Games, ASIAD, and the Olympics. The partnership with an experienced partner like Konica Minolta promises to create a new turning point, bringing Vietnamese Sports Medicine closer to international standards.