HA NOI — Viet Nam’s sports administration will focus on developing major sports in 2019 to record higher achievements at upcoming events.

The plan was revealed by Vuong Bich Thang, director of the National Sports Administration, at a conference held in Ha Noi on Monday to review the agency’s performance in 2018 and reveal its tasks for 2019.

The upcoming major tournaments are the 30th Southeast Asian Games and the 10th Para Games in the Philippines, World Beach Games 2019 and the Olympics and Paralympics in 2020, as well as other regional and global competitions.

Addressing the event, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien said that in 2019, the administration should focus on eight main tasks. These include completing a plan to organise the 31st SEA Games in 2021, working with the Viet Nam Football Federation to hold the national premiere league in 2019 and improving facilities serving key sports.

It is also necessary to focus on encouraging people to do exercise regularly and improving the achievements of athletes in major sports at regional, continental and global tournaments. At the same time, it should strengthen co-ordination with media agencies to popularise key sports, the minister said.

Thang said that in 2018, State management of sports was strong and the agency did a good job of promoting exercise. Over the course of the year, Viet Nam won 386 gold medals, with 27 medals at world tournaments, 80 at Asian competitions and 259 at Southeast Asian tournaments. It also secured 296 silver and 235 bronze medals. — VNS