Hai Phong sports reaching new heights

On January 30, 1946, President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree No. 14 establishing the Central Office of Physical Training under the Ministry of Youth. On March 27, 1946, he signed Decree No. 38 to establish the Department of Youth and Physical Training within the Ministry of National Education. On the same day, March 27, 1946, the newspaper Cuu Quoc published his article titled “Physical Exercise and Health”, calling on the entire population to engage in physical exercise. He wrote: "If every citizen is weak, the whole nation will be weak; if every citizen is healthy and strong, the whole nation will be strong."

This historic event marked the birth of Vietnam’s sports and physical training sector, and March 27 was later designated by the State as “Vietnam Sports Day.”

Although the country went through the hardships of war, the movement for physical training and sports never stopped. The sports sector has always maintained an important role in society and continues to grow and develop.

Through different periods, the slogan “Healthy to build and defend the Fatherland” and the campaign “All people exercise following the example of the great Uncle Ho” have grown into a widespread movement with active participation from a large number of citizens. Physical training and sports are no longer just a movement but have become a daily activity and an indispensable part of life for many people of all ages and professions.

July 1, 2025 marked a memorable milestone for the people of Hai Phong City and Hai Duong Province, when the two localities were merged. Prior to that, the sports movement and high-performance sports of Hai Phong and Hai Duong had always ranked among the top in the country, as demonstrated through the National Sports Games held every four years, as well as national and international competitions.

Following the merger, the sports movement in Hai Phong seems to have doubled in strength. The city currently has 265 non-public sports business establishments and more than 6,800 grassroots sports clubs, forming a widespread ecosystem of sports activities.

Hai Phong now has more than 500 outdoor health clubs for the elderly. Sports movements among officials, employees, and workers, as well as physical education and sports activities in schools, have also continued to improve.

Regarding high-performance sports, from 2020 to the present (except for 2020 and 2021 when activities were temporarily suspended due to COVID-19), Hai Phong athletes have consistently affirmed their position in Olympic sports, key sports disciplines, and several traditional sports. Achievements in some sports are no longer limited to the national level but have reached regional and continental levels.

Every year, Hai Phong sports teams participate in about 90–100 national and international competitions. Over the past five years, the city’s high-performance athletes have competed in national, regional, and international tournaments and have brought back a total of 5,274 national and international medals for Hai Phong (former), Hai Duong (former), and the new Hai Phong.

Not only making sports a strength of the city, Hai Phong has also become a destination for many prestigious domestic and international sporting events, such as the Asian Rowing Championship, the SEA Games, and international table tennis tournaments. This shows that the city’s sports infrastructure has consistently kept pace with the development of physical training and sports.

At the 10th National Sports Games to be held at the end of this year, Hai Phong sports aim to rank at least fifth in overall achievements among provinces, cities, and sectors—its highest ranking ever.

This goal is based on practical grounds, as the city currently has a large, high-quality, and experienced team of athletes, including several competitors of international caliber.

Hai Phong is currently one of the six major cities in the country, serving as an economic, political, cultural, defense, and security center of the Northern Coastal region. As a long-established port city, Hai Phong is located at the center of the region and is an important transportation hub and gateway to the sea. The city is recognized as a key port city with comprehensive development across industry, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and services.

These geographical advantages, along with its economic potential and resources, serve as strong motivation and an important foundation for the continued growth of both the mass sports movement and high-performance sports in Hai Phong.

Tien Huy