Warmly welcoming Mrs. Jung Hee Young and the delegation of the Sports for the Disabled Association of Seoul to visit the Vietnam Sports Authority, Deputy Director Le Thi Hoang Yen hopes that the meeting will open a new chapter in the cooperative relationship between the two sides in the field of paralympic sports.
Through the cooperation between Seoul and Vietnam, NKT sports are expected to continue to develop strongly.
At the meeting, sharing some information about the Vietnam Paralympic Committee, Deputy Director Le Thi Hoang Yen 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.
Vietnamese para sports have gradually asserted their position on the international sports arena. Vietnamese athletes with disabilities have made their mark at many Southeast Asian and Asian Para Games, and especially at the recent three Paralympics. Notably, at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, the Vietnamese para-athletics team 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 para-sports.
However, in reality, Vietnamese para-sports are still facing many difficulties. Therefore, the presence of Mrs. Jung Hee Young and the delegation of the Seoul City Para-Sports Association at the Vietnam Sports Administration, as well as the signing ceremony of the cooperation agreement between the two parties, will contribute to opening up great opportunities for Vietnamese para-sports on their development journey and affirming their position in the international sports arena. Deputy Director Le Thi Hoang Yen is hopeful.
For her part, Ms. Jung Hee Young sincerely thanked Deputy Director Le Thi Hoang Yen and the members of the Vietnam Paralympic Committee for taking the time to welcome the delegation. Ms. Jung Hee Young also affirmed that today's meaningful meeting, as well as the signing of the cooperation agreement, will play an important role not only in promoting the development of sports for people with disabilities but also in strengthening the friendly and cooperative relationship between the two parties.
Introducing the Seoul City Sports Association for the Disabled, Mrs. Jung Hee Young stated that the asociation was established in 2007 and is a public organisation under the capital city of Seoul, South Korea, specialising in the field of paralympic sports. The Seoul city Sports Association for the Disabled continuously strives to help NKT easily access sports.
Accordingly, in the field of professional sports, the Seoul City Sports Association for the Disabled is actively participating in three major domestic multi-sport tournaments (winter - summer - student), organising the Seoul Mayor's Championship, operating talent teams, and supporting the training of athletes and coaches,... Currently, there are approximately 1,800 people participating in professional activities within the framework of the City of Seoul.
In addition, international exchange and competition activities are also being strongly promoted. The Seoul City Sports Association for the Disabled has organised many international tournaments in sports such as Boccia, Tennis, and Golf. Marathon,... and conduct friendly sports exchanges, joint training sessions with countries such as Vietnam, China, Indonesia...
Additionally, the Seoul City Sports Association for the Disabled is also implementing programs such as: creating job opportunities for the Disabled, supporting participation in tournaments, providing employment and professional athlete support, and connecting with community activities to help the Disabled develop their skills and boost their confidence through sports.
Especially, the Seoul City Sports Association for the Disabled considers international cooperation (exchange and competition) extremely important and is promoting collaboration with paralympic sports organisations worldwide to foster mutual development.
Mrs. Jung Hee Young believes that paralympic sports will become a bridge for international friendship, integration, and collaboration with the Vietnam Paralympic Committee to realise the cooperation contents.
Mrs. Jung Hee Young also hopes that in the future, through the cooperation between Seoul and Vietnam, paralympic sports will continue to develop strongly.
Within the framework of the working session, Mrs. Jung Hee Young and Mr. Trần Đức Thọ - Secretary General of the Vietnam Paralympic Committee, jointly signed the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Vietnam Paralympic Committee and the Seoul Disabled Sports Association.
The five-year agreement (2025 – 2029) contributes to the development of paralympic sports through the organisation of an exchange event once a year. The memorandum of agreement also specifies that the two parties will jointly decide on the number of sports and the scale for successfully organising the paralympic sports exchange event.
Huyen Trang