These days, the preparatory atmosphere for the 10th National Sports Games in 2026 (scheduled to take place in mid-November in Ho Chi Minh City) is spreading widely across the province's sports teams. With 260 athletes and coaches participating in 23 sports and over 130 events, the Khanh Hoa sports delegation is expected to achieve its goal of finishing in the top 20 of the overall team standings.
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| Leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with coaches and athletes of the Khanh Hoa sports delegation, showed their determination to compete during the send-off ceremony for the 10th National Sports Games. |
A formidable contingent
Coming to the 10th National Sports Games, the Khanh Hoa sports delegation is competing in 23 sports, including 15 sports under the Provincial Sports Training and Coaching Center: table tennis, beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, weightlifting, athletics, karate, kickboxing, dancesport, Muay Thai, roller sports, taekwondo, bodybuilding, duathlon, traditional martial arts, and Vovinam. In addition, there are 8 sports outside the center: aerobics, billiards, boxing, judo, esports, mixed martial arts (MMA), lion and dragon dance, and basketball.
Preparations have been carried out systematically by the sports teams through intensive training camps from September to November in various localities with good facilities and suitable expertise, such as Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Lam Dong, Can Tho, Tay Ninh, and Dak Lak. Each team has developed an individual training plan closely tailored to its specific technical requirements, demonstrating proactiveness and thoroughness in reviewing and selecting the most outstanding athletes capable of contending for medals.
Mr. Le Hung Tam - Director of the Provincial Sports Training and Coaching Center, stated: “The Khanh Hoa sports delegation is participating in the games with more sports and a larger number of athletes than in the previous edition. The center focuses on sports of strength, such as traditional martial arts, taekwondo, karate, Muay Thai, Vovinam, beach volleyball, duathlon... along with several events in which Khanh Hoa athletes have achieved positive results at recent national tournaments.”
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| Athletes of the beach volleyball team training. |
At the send-off ceremony of the Khanh Hoa sports delegation, comrade NGUYEN LONG BIEN - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, requested: The collective of coaches and athletes should uphold the spirit of solidarity and determination to compete; maintain ethics and noble sportsmanship, compete honestly, and respect referees and opponents. He also requested the delegation to ensure discipline, health, and safety throughout the Games; and enhance the management responsibility of specialized agencies in supporting the delegation during training and competition. Comrade Nguyen Long Bien expressed his hope that each coach and athlete of the Khanh Hoa sports delegation will uphold their will and aspiration to rise, make good use of their abilities and specialized strengths, compete wholeheartedly for the colors of Khanh Hoa sports, and strive to achieve the highest results in each participated event.
Opportunities and challenges
Recently, Khanh Hoa Province held a send-off ceremony for the sports delegation participating in the 10th National Sports Games. Accordingly, Khanh Hoa sports strives to win a total of 39 medals of all types, including 8 gold medals, 6 silver medals, and 25 bronze medals. On that basis, it aims to enter the top 20 provinces, cities, and sectors nationwide in the overall delegation rankings.
Looking at the medal target table registered by the sports teams for this Games, one can see the “spearheads” in which the Khanh Hoa sports delegation is placing high hopes. Among them, beach volleyball remains the number one hope, with the target of winning 2 gold medals in both men's and women's events. With the strength of the Sanvinest Khanh Hoa beach volleyball team, this goal is entirely achievable. Meanwhile, traditional martial arts, following the outstanding achievement of winning a gold medal at the world championship (held in Italy) a few weeks ago, has gained further momentum toward the target of winning 1 gold medal. As for duathlon, the consistent form of prominent athletes Nguyen Thi Thuy Van and Nguyen Le Hoang Vu has enabled the team to boldly register a target of 2 gold medals. In addition, taekwondo, bodybuilding, Muay Thai, and other sports also aim to win gold medals.
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| Athletes of the Muay Thai team train ahead of the 10th National Sports Games. |
Despite such goals, the road to the top 20 for the Khanh Hoa sports delegation is predicted to be far from easy, as sports delegations from other provinces, cities, and sectors have also received investment, reinforced their lineups, and are ready to achieve the best results at the Games. In addition, Khanh Hoa sports faces other limitations, such as: the next-generation athlete force in some sports still lacks competition experience; funding for training and competition remains limited; facilities and equipment are still deficient... However, with serious preparation, a large force, and clearly oriented medal targets, the Khanh Hoa sports delegation is demonstrating its readiness on the journey to conquer the 10th National Sports Games.
P.H
