Popular Sports in Vietnam
Vietnam officially referred to as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is located in Southeast Asia in the Indochina Peninsula. It is bordered by China to the north, to the northwest by Laos, to the southwest by Cambodia, and to the southeast by Malaysia across the South China Sea and its capital city is Hanoi.
Like all other countries in the world, Vietnam is actively involved in sports. Sports in this country have played a very important role in the country’s cultural field. They have also been important in the country’s cultural development. It is, however, important to note that sports in this country were not well coordinated under the French regime, but sportsmen in the country took part in numerous sports events and competitions. It was in 1975 when the sports sector began to improve and became promoted widely. Presently, sports are used as a bridge to link people from all age groups as you can see children participating in karate classes or two elderly men playing a game of chess or badminton in the parks.
Sports in Vietnam include cycling, soccer, swimming, boxing, karate, tennis, aerobics, badminton and so on. The most common sport is soccer. The youth in the country are the majority participants in these sports. Vietnam also has various sports clubs and training facilities that are used to train the upcoming sportsmen and sportswomen. Read on to find out more about these sports in this beautiful country.
Football in Vietnam
USA vs Vietnam soccer match, SourceFootball was introduced in Vietnam by the French in 1896. It was initially introduced in Cochinchina then spread to other regions of the colony, mostly the northern and central regions. This is by far the most common sport in the country. The Association football in the country is governed by the Vietnam Football Federation which oversees the country’s national football teams, and also the national leagues. Two national football teams existed when Vietnam was divided into South Vietnam and North Vietnam. Of the two, the team from North Vietnam was less active, often playing against other Communist states between 1956 and 1966. The team from South Vietnam, on the other hand, participated in the first two AFC Asian Cup finals and finished in fourth place both times.
Australian Rules Football
The first time this sport was played in this country was during the Vietnam War. In May 1966, a game was played between the members of the 5th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment. Another game was played in 1969. This was organized by Captain Bill McHahon from Croydon, Victoria. He was a footballer from the Sandringham Football Club and the Melbourne Football Club. This was a social match, “Diggers” vs “The Rest” and was played by soldiers from Vietnam in August at the central base of the Free World Military Assistance Organization. In 1971, the 110 Signal Squadron and the Australian Force Vietnam played a game in Saigon. This match was prepared by Private Conboy from Clifton Hill, Victoria.
More social games in this sport were played in the country but it was in 1998 when this sport was played in an official capacity. This happened when the Saigan Saints was formed and the team was made up of Australian expatriates. Another team, the Hanoi Hawks, was also formed later on. This was also made up of Australian migrants. The Saigan Saints played last in 2001. This sport was revived in 2003 in Hanoi by the Hanoi Swans who participated in tri-nations tournament against Thailand and Hong Kong. In 2007, a revolution was started in Saigan with the intent of revitalizing the sport in the area and merging with Hanoi to create a national team, the Vietnam Swans. The Vietnam Swans played in Bangkok for the first time for the 8th Annual Asian Championships in 2007. They also took part in the Asian Championships held in Singapore in 2008 and have been playing since then.
Cricket in Vietnam
This sport was played first in Vietnam in the middle of the 20th century. The sport was, however, made formal with the creation of the Hanoi Cricket Club in 1993. In the country, this sport is mainly played by English immigrants who have maintained the social features of cricket in a country where football is the most played sport. It is worth noting that the sports industry in Vietnam has not set an official body for cricket. All in all, the industry is promoting cricket by lobbying for the creation of a cricket organization, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh regions.
Rugby Union
This is not a very common sport but it a growing one. Rugby was initially introduced to the country when Vietnam was a section of French Indochina. The sport was, however, mostly played by the French immigrants. When Vietnam got independence, there was a long pause due to factors such as famine, political and financial forces. These factors made it impossible to play the game. Like other small rugby countries, this sport is centered in the country’s capital city. The historical relationship with France is a blessing for the country. This is because the players, who could meet the criteria for the country’s national rugby team, now play in France.
Badminton in Vietnam
This is a very common sport in the country and is mostly played by the youth and middle-aged people, and when played professionally, it is among one of Vietnam’s few strengths. This is a game that can be played from morning till evening. As you walk through the parks in Hanoi such as Hang Dau, Bach Thao, Thong Nhat, or even streets with wide boulevards such as Hoang Dieu or Phan Dinh, you will easily see people of different ages playing badminton.
There are a number of pre-drawn badminton courts on the ground. All you will have to do is set up a net and have a racket to play. Foreigners can also play this game. All they need to do is just walk into the parks befriend some of the players, borrow a racket, and play with their newly found friends.
Table Tennis in Vietnam
Singapore vs Vietnam, SourceIn Vietnam table tennis is considered as the game for the elderly and there are training centers for this sport. It is, however, important to note that this sport is also played professionally. The sport is played professionally by the Vietnam Davis Cup team and the Vietnam Fed Cup team. The Davis Cup is the main global team event in men’s tennis. The Fed Cup, on the other hand, is the competition for women’s tennis. Both are run by the Vietnam Tennis Federation.
Chess in Vietnam
Vietnam is habitat to numerous chess players who compete globally. Some of the well-known chess players include Paul Truong, Hoang Thanh Trang, and Cesar Boutteville just to mention a few.
Snorkeling and scuba diving in Vietnam
Scuba diving at Mun Island, Nha Trang, Source
Vietnam has a long shoreline which is about 2121 miles. This provides a good setting for water sports such as scuba diving and snorkeling. The majority of the snorkeling and scuba diving locations are found in the southern and central regions of the country. Nha Trang is one of the most popular locations and it is located in Central Vietnam. This location is considered a starting-off point for a number of snorkel locations in the South China Sea. Mekong River Delta, located in Southern Vietnam provides easy access to snorkeling regions such as the Phu Quoc Island and the Con Dao Islands which are protected. Phu Quoc Island is found in the Gulf of Thailand, 10 miles from Cambodia, and it provides snorkeling and scuba diving in the northwest region of the island. Con Dao, on the other hand, is made up of 15 islets and islands situated roughly 50 miles from the southeast coast of Vietnam.
Despite all the sports mentioned above, it is important to note that the people of Vietnam are not that sporty. Vietnam probably has the lowest number of sportsmen when compared to other countries around the globe. The locals are usually better at traditional sports than current sports.
The country also engages in some traditional sports from China such as mini-soccer. Vietnam has also adopted a number of sports from other countries. Some of these sports include taekwondo, karate, and judo. All these sports are quite common among the youth while tai chi is preferred by the older people in the community.
Despite soccer being the most preferred sport in the country, the high ranking awards for sports in Vietnam was given to shooting, kungfu, and chess. The current state records in swimming and athletics have also been broken constantly. This is indeed good news for the country as it shows that Vietnam is attempting to fill the breach in the regional and global standards of these sports.
So as to foster a sporting culture, Vietnam always organizes a 4-year multi-sports event which involves participants from the whole country. This sporting event in referred to as the “Vietnam National Games”. The objectives of this event are to evaluate the preparation cycle of the athletes and to make sure that local athletes get to exercise for the global competitions.