Sport in Vietnam
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This article presents an overview of the
Sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...
in
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
.


Team sports


Football

Association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
in Vietnam is run by the
Vietnam Football Federation The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF, vi, Liên đoàn Bóng đá Việt Nam) is the governing body of football in Vietnam. It is responsible for the all Vietnam teams of football, futsal and beach soccer as well as national competitions. VFF ...
. The federation administers the
Vietnam national football team The Vietnam national football team ( vi, Đội tuyển bóng đá quốc gia Việt Nam) represents the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in international football and is controlled by the Vietnam Football Federation, the governing body of footba ...
, as well as the V-League, Vietnam First Division, Vietnam Second Division, and the Vietnamese League Three. Football is the most popular sport in Vietnam. Its annual V-League competition has taken place since 1980 (except in 1988 and 1999). When Vietnam was split into
North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...
and South Vietnam, two national teams existed. The North Vietnamese national team was not very active, playing almost exclusively against other Communist countries between 1956 and 1966, while the South Vietnamese national team took part in the first two AFC Asian Cup finals, finishing fourth place both times.


Futsal

Futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football. Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is ...
came to Vietnam in 1990s and now become more developing after having struggling in early time. The Vietnam national futsal team had its most notable result in 2016 when they finish fourth place at the
2016 AFC Futsal Championship The 2016 AFC Futsal Championship was the 14th edition of the AFC Futsal Championship, the biennial international futsal championship organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the men's national teams of Asia. The tournament was held ...
which gained it qualified for
2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup The 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup was the eighth FIFA Futsal World Cup, the quadrennial international futsal championship contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament was held in Colombia from 10 September ...
where they reached to round of 16. They reached to round of 16 again in
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. Vietnam also has futsal league call Futsal V-League that has been run since 2007. Thái Sơn Nam is the most successful club. They are also one of the most strongest clubs in Asia, having reaching the final of
2018 AFC Futsal Club Championship The 2018 AFC Futsal Club Championship was the 9th edition of the AFC Futsal Club Championship, an annual international futsal club tournament in Asia organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It was held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia between ...
and finish third place at 2015,
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and
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
.


Basketball

Basketball has become an increasingly popular sport in Vietnam, especially in Ho Chi Minh City,
Hanoi Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
and Soc Trang. The
Vietnamese national basketball team The Vietnam national basketball team is the men's basketball team representing Vietnam in international competitions. The governing body of Vietnamese basketball operations is the Vietnam Basketball Federation. Vietnam had its best finish at the ...
had its most notable finish at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games when it earned the bronze medal.


Volleyball

Volleyball is also a popular sport in Vietnam. The National volleyball team repeatedly won silver medals at the
Southeast Asian Games The Southeast Asian Games, also known as the SEA Games, is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with sup ...
.


Australian Rules Football

Australian rules football has been played in Vietnam since 1998, when the Saigan Saints was formed by expatriate Australians. It was followed shortly after by new rivals the Hanoi Hawks, also established by Australian expatriates. The Saigan Saints stopped playing in 2001. In 2003, Australian rules football was reborn in
Hanoi Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
under the Hanoi Swans banner with a tri-nations tournament against
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
and
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
. In 2007, a movement started in Saigan to get footy up again with the goal of combining with Hanoi to form a national team, the Vietnam Swans. In July 2007, the Vietnam Swans played together for the first time in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
for the 8th Annual Asian Championships. They returned to the Asian Championships in 2008 in
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
and have been playing ever since. In 2009, highlights included the ANZAC Day Match against the Thailand Tigers at Hellfire Pass on the Death Burma Railway; a Black Saturday Tribute Match and Fundraiser against the Bali Geckos a match against HMAS Darwin and the Asian Championships.


Cricket


Rugby union

Rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...
in
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
is a minor but growing sport. Rugby union was originally introduced when Vietnam was part of
French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...
, but this was mainly by French expatriates. After independence there was a long hiatus, as financial and political forces, from famine to the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
meant it was impossible for the game to be played. As with many minor rugby nations, the sport is centered in the national capital. The Indochinese Cup was established in 1999, as a four sided tournament between Vietnamese teams from Saigon and
Hanoi Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
,
Vientiane Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...
( Laos), and Phnom Penh (
Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
). The historical connection with France is a mixed blessing. A number of people who could qualify for Vietnam's national rugby union team play in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. An example is the MHRC player François Trinh-Duc, who has a Vietnamese grandfather.


Individual sports


Badminton


Tennis


Running


Athletics

Bui Thi Nhung and Vu Thi Huong are the two main athletes from Vietnam. Bui Thi Nhung won the gold medal at the 2003 Asian Athletics Championships, and finished 4th at the
2006 Asian Games 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
. Bui Thi Nhung also competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics without reaching the final. Vu Thi Huong is a
track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
sprint athlete who competes internationally for
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
. Huong won the silver medal in women's 100m event and the bronze medal in women's 200m event at the 2007 Asian Athletics Championship in Amman,
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
. At recent
Southeast Asian Games The Southeast Asian Games, also known as the SEA Games, is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with sup ...
editions, she has been dominating the short distances. She won the double (both 100m and 200m) gold medal at the
2007 Southeast Asian Games The 2007 Southeast Asian Games ( th, กีฬาแห่งเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้ 2007, Kila haeng echiye tawan oak chiyeng tai 2007), officially known as the 24th Southeast Asian Games, was a South ...
in Thailand, and the 100m gold and 200m silver at the
2005 Southeast Asian Games The 2005 Southeast Asian Games, officially known as the 23rd Southeast Asian Games, was a Southeast Asian multi-sport event held in Manila, Philippines. This was the third time the Philippines hosted the games and its first time since 1991. ...
in the Philippines. At the first SEA Games in her career (2003 in Vietnam), she won bronze medal in the 100m and silver medal in the 4x100 relay with the Vietnam team. Huong represented Vietnam at the 2008 Summer Olympics in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
. She competed at the
100m The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...
sprint and placed third in her first round heat, after
Kim Gevaert Kim Gevaert (born 5 August 1978 in Leuven) is a former sprint athlete and Olympic champion from Belgium. Career Her closest brush with a world title came in running 4/100 of a second behind three-time champion Gail Devers at the 2004 IAAF Wor ...
and
Yulia Nestsiarenka Yuliya Nesterenko (alt. spelling: Yulia Nestsiarenka, née Bartsevich ( be, Юлія Несцярэнка, ; russian: Юлия Нестеренко, ; born 15 June 1979) is a Belarusian sprinter, Olympic 100 meters champion of 2004. Nesterenko ...
in a time of 11.65 seconds. She qualified for the second round in which she failed to qualify for the semi-finals as her time of 11.70 seconds was the 8th and slowest time of her race.


Chess

Vietnam is home to many chess players who compete internationally, among the well known being Cesar Boutteville,
Hoang Thanh Trang Hoàng Thanh Trang (born 25 April 1980) is a Vietnamese-born Hungarian chess grandmaster. She was Asian women's champion in 2000 and European women's champion in 2013. Hoang competed in the Women's World Chess Championship in 2000, 2001, 2004, ...
,
Lê Quang Liêm Lê Quang Liêm (born 13 March 1991) is a Vietnamese chess grandmaster, the top-ranked of his country. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 2006. Liêm is the current Asian champion and was the World Blitz Chess Champion in 2013. ...
, Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, and Paul Truong.


Martial arts

More than 70 years later, most of the Vietnamese martial arts schools worldwide emerging from Vo Co Truyen's development practice Vo Thuat: * Van Vo Dao ( Vo Su Kinh Chu) * Vo Vietnam ( Nguyen Duc Moc) * Vo Thuat ( Nguyen Van Trung) * Vo Binh Dinh/ Tay Son Binh Dinh ( Thanh Long) * Minh Long ( Tran Minh Long) * Kim Long ( Nguyen Trung Hoa) * Vovinam Viet Vo Dao ( Nguyen Loc) * Nhat Nam ( Ngo Xuan Bing) * Tay Son Nhan ( Vo Su To Dinh Thanh) * Lam Chanh Tong * Viet Dao Quan ( Giao Su Tien Si Dang Quang Luong) In Vietnam, many people also practice: * Vo Co Truyen * Thieu Lam Viet Nam * Kim Ke-Tay Son Nhan * Phakwondo (Hoa Quyen Dao) * Hong Gia Viet Nam * Nam Huynh Dao * Lam Son Also there are various Sino-
Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...
styles. These are styles that are only partially Vietnamese which were popular among Chinese who lived in Vietnam, for example: * Thieu Lam ( Shaolinquan) * Noi Quyen ( Neiquan) * Bach My Phai (Baimeipai, Baimeiquan) Other styles include: * Mai Hoa Quyen (
Meihuaquan Meihua Quan (; literally "Plum-blossom Fist") is a common term used to name styles or exercise sets of kung fu: * 1) a style of kung fu that originated in the northern provinces of China centuries ago. Meihuaquan is also known as Meihuazhuang (). ...
) * Sa Long Cuong * Quan Khi Dao
Vovinam Vovinam (short for ''Võ Việt Nam''; literally meaning Vietnamese Martial Arts, or vi, Việt Võ Đạo (越武道), meaning Vietnamese Way of Martial Arts) is a Vietnamese martial art, It was founded in 1938 by Nguyễn Lộc. It is based ...
and Nhat Nam are the main Vietnamese martial arts, followed by others.


See also

* Vietnam at the Olympics


References

{{Vietnam topics