The fifth Southeast Asian Student Sports Festival is scheduled to begin at Ha Noi's Elite Athletes Training Centre on June 22-30.

About 1,500 athletes and coaches from eight countries will participate, including Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Laos, and Viet Nam.

Students will compete in track-and-field, swimming, pencak silat, basketball, sepak takraw, badminton, gymnastics, table-tennis and volleyball.

At a meeting with team representatives in Ha Noi earlier this week, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Tran Quang Quy said the festival would enhance solidarity and knowledge-sharing in the region.

At the fourth festival in Indonesia last year, Viet Nam won 27 golds, 17 silvers and 16 bronzes. — VNS