Hanoi will host the 8th National Games with the opening ceremony to take place at My Dinh National Stadium on November 25.

The upcoming 8th National Games in late November will feature prominent tennis players, including No. 1 star Ly Hoang Nam. (Photo: Vietnam Tennis Federation)

Organised every four years since 1990, this year’s event will feature 36 sports, including athletics, swimming, gymnastics, rowing, canoeing, football, futsal, shooting, archery, weightlifting, judo, taekwondo, boxing, fencing, badminton, tennis, volleyball, handball, basketball, cycling, table tennis, golf, karate, wushu, pencak silat, chess, sepak takraw, billiards & snooker, dance sports, bodybuilding, muay, petanque, vovinam, traditional martial arts, shuttlecocks and diving.

The nation’s largest sporting event gathers outstanding athletes from localities across the nation and those from the army and police forces. It aims to create a profound change in the public awareness on the meaning, role and importance of sports and physical training, thus promoting physical training and sporting activities among society, contributing to improving public health, fitness and the quality of human resources for the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

It is also a chance for the local authorities and units concerned to invest in sports and helps professionals select outstanding players for the national teams.

As part of the 8th National Games, tennis, one of the most popular and anticipated sports, will be officially launched at the My Dinh Athletics Arena in Nam Tu Liem district, Hanoi, from November 19 to 29, featuring six courts.

The tennis event will bring together 83 players from 12 units nationwide, including prominent names such as No. 1 star Ly Hoang Nam, Trinh Linh Giang, Nguyen Van Phuong, Tiffany Linh Nguyen, Tran Thuy Thanh Truc, Huynh Phuong Dai Trang and Dao Minh Trang. They will compete in seven categories, including men's and women's teams, men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles.

Meanwhile, the athletics event that will take place from November 27 to December 2 at the Hanoi National Sport Training Centre and the Hanoi Sport and Physical Training and Competition Centre, will gather 474 athletes from 57 units, competing in 49 athletics categories.

2018 also marks the fifth year that the National Games have been hosted by Hanoi, after the last three events were held in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Nam Dinh, respectively.

The Games’ closing ceremony will be held at the My Dinh Athletics Arena on December 10.

Nhan Dan