Recalling historical milestones, Mr. Nasser Nassiri expressed his emotion upon returning to Vietnam – a place where, since 2009, the two sides have successfully co-organized Kickboxing within the framework of the Asian Indoor Games. Since that milestone, Vietnamese kickboxing has made impressive strides, particularly its leading position in the overall medal standings at the 31st SEA Games. The President of the Asian Kickboxing Federation affirmed that the rapid development of this sport in Vietnam is a commendable model, and expressed hope that with its existing potential, Vietnam can become a leading nation in this sport in the region.
Director Nguyen Danh Hoang Viet met and worked with Mr. Nasser Nassiri, President of the Asian Kickboxing Federation
During the meeting, Mr. Nasser Nassiri expressed his desire for strong support from the Vietnam Sports Department and the Vietnam Olympic Committee in making kickboxing an official competitive sport at future SEA Games.
According to Mr. Nasser Nassiri, although recognized early on by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Asian Olympic Council (OCA), the sustainable presence of this martial art in Southeast Asia still requires consensus and a common voice from member countries.
During the meeting, Mr. Nasser Nassiri emphasized that Vietnam, with its experience in organizing and the quality of its referees proven through four SEA Games, could be a significant boost to attract more countries to participate if it could host major tournaments like the Asian Championships.
In response to the proposals from the President of the Asian Federation, Director Nguyen Danh Hoang Viet highly appreciated the strong transformation of Kickboxing in recent years. Despite being a young sport, Vietnamese Kickboxing has built a systematic training system from the talent level to the national team, and established a diverse tournament system at various levels. The Director acknowledged that many athletes from other sports who switched to Kickboxing have adapted very quickly and achieved high results, proving the inherent qualities and chivalrous spirit of the Vietnamese people.
Mr. Nasser Nassiri, President of the Asian Kickboxing Federation, visited and worked at the Vietnam Department of Sports and Physical Education on the morning of February 24th
In principle, the leader of the Vietnam Sports Department expressed strong agreement with the proposal to include Kickboxing in the official competition program of the upcoming SEA Games and will cooperate with countries in the region to realize this goal.
However, for sustainable development, Director Nguyen Danh Hoang Viet also requested the Asian Kickboxing Federation to increase support for Vietnam in professional training for management staff, coaches, athletes, and referees through intensive technical training courses. This close collaboration is expected to help Vietnamese kickboxing not only dominate the region but also make significant breakthroughs in major competitions such as the ASIAD and the Olympics in the future.
Ha Phuong