Athletics

The 105th Asian Athletics Council Meeting is held on November 24 in Hà Nội. — Photos courtesy of SAV

HÀ NỘI — Asian athletics leaders set out the continent’s strategic direction to 2030 as officials met in Hà Nội on November 24 for the 105th Asian Athletics Council Meeting, agreeing development plans designed to keep pace with global changes and strengthen the sport’s long-term foundations.

The annual gathering, Asia’s top decision-making forum for athletics, reviewed the past year’s work, confirmed key decisions for upcoming continental events and refined a roadmap intended to push the sport toward a more modern and competitive future.

In his opening remarks, Director of the Sports Authority of Việt Nam (SAV) Nguyễn Danh Hoàng Việt said that strong backing from the Party, State, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the SAV had helped Vietnamese athletics make significant breakthroughs in recent years, adding that the country’s progress was contributing to a fast-evolving and increasingly ambitious Asian athletics movement.

He noted that Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính’s recent approval of a national plan for developing Vietnamese athletics to 2030, with a vision to 2045, reflected Việt Nam’s determination to use the sport to advance public health, raise quality of life and strengthen the nation’s global image.

Việt Nam, he said, is ready to expand cooperation with partners worldwide and work closely with Asian athletics bodies on training, professional development and building a fair, transparent and doping-free competitive environment aligned with global sporting values.

President of the Asian Athletics Association Dahlan Jumaan Al Hamad speaks at the event

In his address, President of the Asian Athletics Association Dahlan Jumaan Al Hamad said that this was “a moment for Asian Athletics to move boldly into the future,” highlighting several core priorities such as the comprehensive implementation of the Asian Athletics Development Strategy 2023-30, increasing youth engagement in athletics, integrating technology into management, coaching and competition organisation, and strengthening cooperation with World Athletics to overcome shared challenges and achieve sustainable results by 2030.

He said that with 60 per cent of the world’s young athletes coming from Asia, the region was poised to become the driving force of global athletics in the decades ahead.

Representing the host nation, Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, secretary general of the Việt Nam Athletics Federation, presented several key proposals aimed at boosting domestic athletics development, which received full support from the Council.

He requested Asian Athletics assistance in rolling out nationwide school-based kids’ athletics programmes while committing to standardising Việt Nam’s expanding grassroots road races through unified management and organisational criteria.

Hùng proposed that the Asian Athletics identify high-quality training venues where the national team could undertake long-term training camps so that Vietnamese athletes could win gold medals not only at the SEA Games but also at the Asian Championships and Asian Games, and achieve Olympic slots. He expected to invite world-class experts to support the coaching of the national team.

In the future, under the continental body's support, Việt Nam plan to host a Southeast Asian-level event within 2025-27 and Asian competitions in 2030.

President Al-Hamad recognised Việt Nam as an active member with substantial contributions and great potential to rise to the continental and global stage.

He commended the SAV's strong support for athletics development, particularly after visiting the National Sport Training Centre, where he witnessed the dedication and ambition of the national athletics team.

He expressed confidence that with Việt Nam’s commitment, combined with support from Asian Athletics and World Athletics, the country would achieve significant progress in the coming years.

In his closing remarks, President Al-Hamad praised Việt Nam’s successful organisation of the meeting.

“Việt Nam is a beautiful country with rich culture and history, an excellent destination for hosting regional events," he said. "The Việt Nam organisers demonstrated thorough preparation, professionalism, and efficiency, ensuring the high quality of all sessions and side activities.” — VNS