Hanoi, 9 Sep 2026 – Vietnam has officially sent off its 498-member sports delegation to the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, setting a target of winning more than four gold medals at the continent’s biggest multi-sport event.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Vietnam Olympic Committee jointly held a send-off ceremony on September 9 for the Vietnamese delegation heading to the 20th Asian Games, scheduled to take place in Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.
Vietnam’s delegation consists of 498 members, including 348 athletes, a head of delegation, a deputy head, 13 officials and six medical staff. Nguyen Hong Minh, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration, will serve as head of the Vietnamese delegation.
The 348 athletes will compete across 33 sports and disciplines, including athletics, swimming, weightlifting, shooting, rowing, canoeing, sepak takraw, karate, artistic gymnastics, taekwondo, archery, boxing, wrestling, cycling, wushu, kurash, jujitsu, men’s and women’s indoor volleyball, men’s and women’s beach volleyball, men’s and women’s football, judo, golf, handball, badminton, fencing, sailing, teqball, esports, breaking and mixed martial arts.
Speaking at the ceremony, Nguyen Hong Minh said the delegation had undergone thorough preparations and was ready for the challenge in Japan. Vietnam has set a target of winning more than four gold medals, with the athletes determined to deliver strong performances for the country.
At the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Vietnam won three gold medals through shooter Pham Quang Huy, the women’s four-player sepak takraw team and the karate kata team. The delegation also collected five silver and 19 bronze medals, finishing sixth among Southeast Asian countries and 21st overall in Asia.
At the 18th Asian Games, Vietnam secured four gold medals and finished 17th in the overall standings.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra attended the send-off ceremony and called on the athletes to push beyond their limits and strive to meet or exceed the delegation’s medal target.
She also urged the delegation to uphold sportsmanship and integrity, maintain discipline and unity, respect the competition regulations and the laws of the host country, while representing Vietnam positively on the international stage.
Under the Vietnamese government’s Decree 349, athletes who win gold, silver and bronze medals at the Asian Games will receive state bonuses of VND 280 million, VND 170 million and VND 110 million, respectively. An additional VND 110 million will be awarded for breaking an Asian Games record.
Vietnamese medalists will also receive additional bonuses funded through sponsorships secured for the delegation. According to Nguyen Hong Minh, gold medalists will receive an extra VND 200 million, while silver and bronze medalists will be awarded VND 150 million and VND 100 million, respectively.
The delegation features several of Vietnam’s leading athletes, including shooters Pham Quang Huy, Trinh Thu Vinh and Ha Minh Thanh, athletics stars Nguyen Thi Oanh and Quach Thi Lan, gymnasts Nguyen Van Khanh Phong and Dang Ngoc Xuan Thien, and swimmers Nguyen Huy Hoang and Tran Hung Nguyen.
With 348 athletes competing across a wide range of events, Vietnam will head to Japan aiming to improve on its three-gold performance from Hangzhou and surpass the four-gold benchmark set at the 18th Asian Games.
VSN/RPT
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