In order to serve the organization of the 1st Ho Chi Minh City Sports Festival in 2026 and towards the 10th National Sports Festival in 2026 in boat racing, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee issued license No. 59/GP - UBND on August 21, 2025 for the Ho Chi Minh City Aquatic Sports Center to operate within the protection scope of irrigation works. Operating location: Da Bang reservoir in Nghia Thanh and Dat Do communes, Ho Chi Minh City.
To serve the organization of the Congress well, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports repaired the competition venues and stadiums under its jurisdiction to ensure standards for activities, including boat racing.
Up to now, the construction progress at the Da Bang reservoir project is being accelerated to prepare for the organization of the National Traditional Boat Racing Championship for outstanding rowers in 2026, from May 1 to 7. 2026 and the Ho Chi Minh City Sports Festival from May 6 to 10. 2026.
However, in recent days, some information suggests that leveling activities at Da Bang Lake (in Nghia Thanh and Dat Do communes) show signs of encroachment on irrigation works, without exchanging with the unit assigned to construct and carry out leveling activities at Da Bang Lake to prepare for city and national-level boat races, creating public misunderstanding that it is encroachment on irrigation works.
In the latest announcement of the Ho Chi Minh City Aquatic Sports Center, it is affirmed that all activities here are fully licensed by functional agencies.
Accordingly, on April 16, 2026, the Department of Agriculture and Environment issued Document No. 10506/SNNMT-CCTL on supporting the organization of training and competition for the 1st Ho Chi Minh City Sports Festival and the 10th National Sports Festival in 2026 for boat racing, which agreed with the proposal of the City Aquatic Sports Center in Official Dispatch No. 115/TTDN dated April 14, 2026 on leveling, renovating and cleaning to create ground for training and competition for boat racing within the permitted scope at the Da Bang water reservoir project; leveling the ground does not affect the management, exploitation, and operation of the Da Bang water reservoir project.
“The actual field survey also shows that the lakebed area only has a number of piles of soil that have not been leveled because construction vehicles have not been arranged in time. These materials are still within the lakebed area, and there are no signs of being transported out or exploited as some people fear,” the Ho Chi Minh City Aquatic Sports Center said.
To serve the boat racing event at the 1st Ho Chi Minh City Sports Festival in 2026, on April 8, the Ho Chi Minh City Irrigation Works Management and Exploitation Center agreed to replenish water from Song Ray Lake to Da Bang Lake with a flow of about 80,000 m3/day and night. It is expected that by the time of the tournament, the lake water level will reach about 1.83 m, ensuring conditions for water sports.
