At the handover ceremony of the AMMS Chairmanship on October 17. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam officially handed over the chairmanship of the ninth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports (AMMS 9) to Cambodia at a ceremony held in Hà Nội on October 17, marking the conclusion of its two-year tenure as host.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyễn Văn Hùng presented the chairmanship flag to Cambodian Secretary of State at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport Vath Chamroeun.

The event signaled the start of Cambodia’s preparations to host the AMMS 9 and the 17th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Sports (SOMS 17) in Siem Reap in November 2027.

Speaking at the ceremony, Hùng highlighted that during Việt Nam’s chairmanship, ASEAN sports cooperation was advanced despite regional and global challenges.

Numerous joint programmes and initiatives were implemented, promoting comprehensive sports development while strengthening solidarity and friendship within the ASEAN Community.

He affirmed that sports continue fostering understanding, friendship, and sustainable development across the bloc.

He expressed his confidence that under Cambodia’s chairmanship, sports cooperation within ASEAN will continue thriving, spreading the values of solidarity, understanding, and sharing.

Việt Nam commits to accompanying and supporting Cambodia to fulfill its role, Hùng added.

Vath Chamroeun, for his part, thanked Việt Nam for its contributions and reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to promoting sports as a means of peace, friendship, and unity. He pledged to organise the AMMS 9 successfully, bringing benefits to all member states.

Earlier the same day, the AMMS 8 convened its sessions with Japan and China as partners.

Hosted by Việt Nam from October 13-17 under the theme Navigating Sports – Contributing to Sustainable Development, AMMS 8 discussed key regional priorities, including professional sports development linked to science and the sports economy, gender equality, youth and women participation, inclusion of persons with disabilities, and the preservation of traditional sports.

The meeting also endorsed the establishment of an ASEAN high-performance sports centre and strengthened cooperation with dialogue countries such as Japan, China, and the South Korea as well as international organisations. — VNA/VNS