On May 7, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 816/QD-TTg approving the program "Developing key sports to prepare for participation in ASIAD and Olympics in the period 2026 - 2045".
According to the decision, 9 key sports focused on investment include shooting, archery, weightlifting, cycling, boating, athletics, swimming, karate and sepak takraw. These are sports that are assessed to be suitable for the qualities and physical condition of Vietnamese athletes, and at the same time have the ability to compete for medals at the continental and Olympic levels.
The program is implemented nationwide, targeting target groups including national team athletes, youth teams, coaches, sports experts, national sports training centers and high-performance athlete training systems.
In the period 2026-2030, Vietnamese sports aims to maintain its position in the top 20 of ASIAD, striving to win 5 gold medals at ASIAD 2026 and 6 gold medals at ASIAD 2030 in key sports. At the same time, the important goal is to aim to win medals at the 2028 Olympics.
In addition to maintaining the existing force, the sports sector will review and supplement about 35-40 athletes or potential competition events for in-depth investment, creating a source of medal competition in the future.
In the period 2031-2035, the target continues to be raised with the goal of winning 7 gold medals at ASIAD 2034 and striving to win a silver medal at the 2032 Olympics in the group of key sports.
During this time, Vietnamese sports will build a system to detect, select and train athletes in a more synchronous direction, while expanding to about 75-80 athletes and potential competition events.
Further, the 2036-2045 period is considered a major shift in Vietnamese high-performance sports. According to the plan, the Vietnamese sports delegation aims for the top 15 ASIAD, top 50 Olympics, striving to have an ASIAD that wins 10 gold medals and a Olympic that wins more than 1 gold medal. Vietnam also strives to host ASIAD 2038.
One of the notable points of the program is the change of training models towards modernization. Accordingly, research and application of advanced training models in the world such as "Elite Training Camp", "Periodization Training Model" or "Personalized Athlete Training" suitable for each competition content.
Key teams will be strengthened for long-term training abroad in countries with specialized strengths. At the same time, Vietnam will invite international experts who have had training achievements at ASIAD and Olympics to directly participate in training and transfer training technology to domestic coaches.
In addition to professional factors, the program also places a great focus on science and technology and sports medicine. Digital analysis systems, motion sensors, GPS tracking, AI Hawk-Eye cameras, 3D motion analysis technology, virtual reality and artificial intelligence will be put into training.
In addition, athletes will have personal data records built to monitor health, nutrition, injuries and performance in real time. Modern recovery methods such as pressure chambers, cryotherapy, hydrotherapy, laser therapy or robot massage are also being researched and applied.
The program also emphasizes the completion of the preferential treatment regime for athletes, coaches and sports experts. Relevant ministries and sectors will coordinate to build a mechanism to support careers, train and change jobs for athletes after retirement, and at the same time strengthen policies to attract talents and high-quality experts.
The funding for implementation is guaranteed from the state budget annually and the medium-term public investment plan for each stage of relevant ministries, sectors, and localities; focusing on integrating relevant programs, projects, and schemes and promoting mobilization from legal funding sources in accordance with the law.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is the focal agency for implementing the program, coordinating with ministries, branches, localities and sports federations in the work of selecting, training and investing in Vietnamese high-performance sports in the next two decades.
