Since the Covid-19 outburst started in Ho Chi Minh City in June, National Sports Training Center II entered a prolonged hibernation. When the situation improved in early October, national teams resumed training there.
One of the main targets of Vietnamese sports in the coming time is SEA Games 31 that will take place in Vietnam next year in May, and Asian Games in China taking place four months later.
Pro runner Le Tu Chinh hasn’t been on the track for months. She and other teammates could only maintain their stamina by visiting the gym.
Despite limited training, Chinh still seeks to defend the gold medals she won at SEA Games 2017 and 2019, as well as breaking her personal records.
After returning from Tokyo Olympics in August, Vietnam’s number one male swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang took a month to complete quarantine. He’s currently in HCMC and will go to Hungary for training soon.
“The trip to Hungary is promised to be great, as it can help me restore my form to aim for higher goals at SEA Games and Asian Games,” Hoang said.
The center also hosted activities that help athletes relieve stress after many days without training.
According to Mai Ba Hung, deputy director of HCMC Culture and Sports Department, after the city loosened restrictions, athletes are training to get their form back, with domestic competitions set to return within the next three months.
The budget for sports in HCMC this year was cut by half to support Covid-19 prevention in the city.
Competing in tournaments in the near future will have many restrictions, involving Covid-19 vaccination, traveling between localities as well as extra expenses in testing and quarantine.
However, Tran Duc Phan, deputy general director of the Department of Physical Education and Sports, confirmed he was asking the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for permission to organize a pilot competition of high-performance sports in localities less affected by the pandemic.
