Asian Games

For Lê Thanh Thúy, it will be the second time carrying national flag in a major international Games this September in Japan. Photo courtesy of VFV

HÀ NỘI — Volleyballer Lê Thanh Thúy and football player Đinh Quang Kiệt will be Việt Nam’s flag bearers for the 20th Asian Games opening ceremony on September 19 in Japan.

It will be Thúy's second consecutive appearance as Vietnamese flag bearer at a major multi-sport event. She also carried the flag at the opening ceremony of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand last year.

Meanwhile Kiệt, a member of the national U23 and HCM City Police FC squads, will share the spotlight for the first time in the opening ceremony parade.

Việt Nam will field a delegation of nearly 500 members, with nearly 400 athletes, and is aiming to win at least four gold medals at the continent’s biggest multi-sport tournament, which will be held in Aichi-Nagoya.

The Games will run from September 19 to October 4, featuring 43 sports, 71 disciplines and 469 medal events.

Under Chef-de-mission Nguyễn Hồng Minh, the main Vietnamese contingent will leave for Japan early September 16. Teams with later competition schedules will fly out over the next few days.

They will join other delegations at the flag raising ceremony, which will be held on September 18. — VNS