On Monday, the curtains closed on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, bringing an end to two exhilarating weeks of sporting excellence that showcased the very best of global athletics.
However, for Vietnam’s sporting contingent, the conclusion was bittersweet as they returned home empty-handed for the second consecutive Olympics.
Falling Short of Expectations
The Paris 2024 Olympics united over 11,000 athletes from 206 nations, all vying for glory across 32 sports disciplines and 329 medal events. Vietnam’s delegation included 39 members, 16 of whom competed in 11 different sports.
While 14 of these athletes secured official spots, the remaining two attended as wild cards. Despite their best efforts, the team was unable to secure any medals for their country.
Vietnam’s Sports Development Strategy to 2020, approved by the government in 2010, outlined ambitious goals for the nation’s athletic prowess. These included:
– Maintaining a top-three position in the Southeast Asian Games
– Placing within the top 15 at the 16th Asian Games in 2010
– Qualifying approximately 30 athletes and winning Olympic medals by 2012
– Improving to a top 13 position at the 17th Asian Games in 2014
– Ensuring around 40 athletes qualify and targeting Olympic gold medals by 2016
– Breaking into the top 12-14 at the 18th Asian Games in 2018
– Qualifying approximately 45 athletes and winning multiple Olympic medals by 2020
Unfortunately, the results have not lived up to these aspirations. Vietnam’s medal haul has been modest, and they have struggled to meet targets for athlete qualifications and podium finishes.
At the London 2012 Olympics, a team of 18 Vietnamese athletes secured one bronze medal. The Rio 2016 Games saw an improved performance with 23 qualifiers and one gold and one silver medal. However, the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics yielded no medals, with 18 and 16 qualifiers respectively.
In an interview with Tuoi Tre newspaper following the 2023 Asian Games, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong acknowledged that while the goals were lofty, their implementation fell short.
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| Vietnamese badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh displays her skills. Photo: Reuters |
Revised Targets and Strategies
As of August, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism is yet to receive government approval for the Vietnam Sports Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision toward 2045, despite the previous strategy having already concluded in 2020.
Given the recent string of underwhelming results, the ministry has been compelled to adjust and lower its targets in the drafts of the Sports Development Strategy to 2030.
The revised goals for the year 2030 are as follows:
– Maintaining regional dominance while striving to meet Asian and global standards
– Targeting five to seven gold medals at the 2026 Asian Games and increasing the tally to seven to nine golds at the 2030 edition
– Focusing on medal-worthy performances at the 2024 and 2028 Olympics and Paralympics
– Elevating Vietnamese football to new heights, aiming for a top-10 finish for the men’s team and a top-six position for the women’s team in Asia
Looking further ahead to 2045, Vietnamese sports aim to consistently rank within the top 15 nations at the Asian Games and break into the top 50 at the Olympics. Additionally, the vision includes ambitious targets for the men’s and women’s football teams, aiming for a top-eight and top-six ranking in Asia, respectively.
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| Vietnamese shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh, who clinched a gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Photo: Reuters |
The Case for Increased Investment
Currently, Vietnam boasts a pool of 22,000 talented athletes spread across provinces, cities, and national training centers. In 2023, the state budget allocated VND710 billion (approximately $28.25 million) for high-performance sports development.
However, this funding is widely considered insufficient, impacting critical areas such as athlete selection, training programs, and competitive participation. For instance, the sport of shooting, which is known for receiving substantial investment, is allocated an annual budget of VND3.3 billion ($131,300), falling short of the estimated requirement of VND10-12 billion ($397,900 – $477,500).
At the 2023 Asian Games summary conference in December 2023, sports industry experts emphasized the need for increased state investment in high-performance sports. They recommended an annual budget of VND800-850 billion ($31.8 – $33.8 million) for the 2024-2026 period, followed by an increase to VND850-900 billion ($35.8 million) for the subsequent years leading up to 2030.
These additional funds would be instrumental in developing a cohort of approximately 30 elite athletes with the potential to challenge for gold medals at the Asian Games and Olympics across a diverse range of sports disciplines.
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Vietnamese Athletes Return from Paris 2024 Olympics Empty-Handed
The Vietnamese delegation’s hopes of Olympic glory at Paris 2024 are all but extinguished, with the majority of their athletes departing empty-handed. Only two remain in contention, leaving the country’s medal dreams hanging by a thread. It seems another Olympics will pass without Vietnam making its mark on the medal table.
The Failing Medal Haul: Vietnam’s Olympic Woes and the Leadership Vacuum
The consecutive medal-less Olympic Games highlight an issue with Vietnam’s sports leadership. The nation’s athletes are being left behind on the world stage, with little opportunity to showcase their talent and compete internationally.
