SEA Games 31: Proposals to increase women’s presence in sports
The sports and women’s committee of the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) held a second meeting in Hanoi on May 11, part of activities for the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).
Participants in the meeting of the SEAGF sports and women’s committee on May 11. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Thesports and women’s committee of the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF)held a second meeting in Hanoi on May 11, part of activities for the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).
Nguyen Thi Bich Van,deputy head of the international cooperation division at the Vietnam SportsAdministration, pointed out the lack of women in the council, executivecommittee and healthcare committee of the SEAGF. The number of female leadersand managers in the 11 member countries’ national Olympic committees is low,and none have a female president.
Women’s participationin sporting events has been growing, but there is a lack of gender equality inthe leadership of sports, she said.
The official stressedthat gender equality is a leading priority of the Olympic Movement, and sportis one of the strongest stepping stones for promoting gender equality andfemale empowerment.
National Olympiccommittees should take actions to promote gender equality through leadershipdevelopment and awareness raising campaigns, as well as the appointment of morewomen to important leadership and management positions, Van recommended.
At the meeting,participants discussed many issues relevant to sports and women in SoutheastAsia.
They agreed to asknational Olympic committees to set up female sports committees to increasefemale membership in the SEAGF to 30 percent. This proposal will be submittedto the SEAGF Council on May 12./.
The 31st Southeast Asian Games will officially open in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on May 12 after months of COVID-19 delay, reported AFP in a story entitled “SEA Games to light up Hanoi after COVID-19 delay” on May 10.
The flags of sports delegations to the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) were hoisted at the My Dinh National Sports Complex in Hanoi on May 11 morning.
The Vietnamese women's rowing team won two more gold medals in the final round of the event at the ongoing SEA Games 31 in the northern city of Hai Phong on May 11 despite unfavourable weather conditions.
15-year-old Van Quynh Phuong, a 9th grader at M. V. Lomonosov Middle & High School, is the youngest Vietnamese athlete participating in the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), competing in dancesport.
The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Participants in the meeting of the SEAGF sports and women’s committee on May 11. (Photo: VNA) 
