SEA Games 30: 200+ Vietnamese delegates to pay their own way

By Dang Khoa   October 23, 2019 | 07:06 pm PT
SEA Games 30: 200+ Vietnamese delegates to pay their own way
Boxer Truong Dinh Hoang (R), a Vietnamese delegate at SEA Games 30, in a match with South Korea’s Lee Gyu Hyun in Hanoi, October 19, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh.
Over 200 Vietnamese athletes and coaches across 12 sports will have to use their own money to participate in the 30th edition of Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

According to the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, Vietnam plans to send 856 athletes, officials, and other staff to participate in the biggest regional sports event to be held in the Philippines from November 30 to December 11.

However, only 650 delegates will receive funding in accordance with state regulations, while more than 200 athletes and coaches in e-sports, basketball, triathlon, sambo, bowling, golf, kickboxing, dance sport, kurash, arnis, muay thai and jujitsu will have to raise money on their own for airfare, meals, lodging, visas, travel expenses, performance costumes, equipment, tools and other expenses.

Under current regulations, the state budget can only fund athletes competing in established games (those included in the Olympics) and those that are well developed in Vietnam with medals winning potential. New games or games for which athletes are being sent for gaining experience will not be funded by the state budget.

A total of 9,840 athletes from 11 countries are expected to contest 530 events across 56 disciplines at the biennial sports event. Vietnam is expected to have 568 athletes compete in 43 sports events.

It will field the largest contingent for track-and-field events with 47 athletes and 12 coaches aiming to win 12-15 gold medals. The Vietnamese track-and-field contingent will be the largest among 41 teams participating in the tournament.

The national sports department is hoping that Vietnamese athletes can win at least 65 gold medals, including both the men’s and women’s football events, to finish among the top three medal-winning countries.

The delegations plan to leave for the Philippines between November 26-28.

At the 29th edition of SEA Games in Malaysia, Vietnam sent 472 athletes to compete in 32 out of 38 sports events and finished third overall with 58 gold, 50 silver, and 60 bronze medals.

 
 
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