Hanoi, 10 Oct 2026 – Around 112,000 people took part in a nationwide sports campaign held across Hanoi and 33 provinces and cities on October 10–11, 2026, as Vietnam stepped up efforts to encourage regular physical activity and promote healthier lifestyles.
Under the slogan “A Nation in Motion – For a Healthy and Strong Vietnam,” the launch of the 2026 Nationwide Sports Participation Movement brought together thousands of people in a series of community sporting activities. The initiative was jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vietnam Television (VTV), the Hanoi People’s Committee and the Vietnam Youth Federation. It formed a central part of the broader “For a Healthy Vietnam” programme, which aims to make physical exercise a regular habit in households and communities nationwide.
In Hanoi, nearly 12,000 participants gathered at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square and the surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake area for a variety of sporting activities. Meanwhile, approximately 100,000 people joined corresponding events across 33 other provinces and cities, creating a nationwide celebration of sport and physical well-being. Following the official launch ceremony, government representatives and members of the public participated in a community walk around Hoan Kiem Lake. A running event was also organised, beginning at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, following a route around the lake and finishing near the headquarters of Hanoi’s cultural and sports administration.
Beyond walking and running, the Hoan Kiem Lake area was transformed into a vibrant community sports venue, offering participants opportunities to discover and experience a wide range of activities. These included pickleball, badminton, table tennis, sepak takraw, 3×3 basketball, tug-of-war, Chinese chess, roller sports and race walking. Martial arts disciplines such as Vovinam, judo, wushu, taekwondo and traditional Vietnamese martial arts were also featured through demonstrations and interactive sessions, encouraging people of different ages to explore new ways of staying active.
One of the highlights of the programme was an opportunity for participants to meet and interact with prominent Vietnamese athletes, including several medal winners from the recently concluded ASIAD 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Among those featured were members of Vietnam’s gold-medal-winning women’s sepak takraw team, alongside wushu athletes Duong Thuy Vi and Dinh Van Tam, who also secured medals at the continental event.
Through personal stories about their training journeys, the challenges they had overcome and their experiences competing internationally, the athletes offered inspiration to members of the public, particularly younger participants. Their involvement helped connect elite sporting achievements with the wider objective of encouraging everyday physical activity, demonstrating how determination, discipline and consistent training can contribute to both personal development and sporting success.
The programme also featured martial arts and physical fitness demonstrations by members of the People’s Public Security and the Vietnam People’s Army. These performances highlighted the importance of discipline, resilience and physical strength while adding to the range of activities available to spectators and participants.
With approximately 112,000 participants nationwide, the 2026 campaign demonstrated the growing emphasis on community involvement in sport and physical fitness. Beyond the large-scale launch events, organisers hope the initiative will encourage more Vietnamese people to incorporate exercise into their daily routines, helping build a more active society in which sport becomes an essential part of everyday life.
The campaign ultimately reinforced its central message: promoting regular physical activity is not only about improving individual health but also about contributing to the development of a healthier, stronger and more resilient Vietnam.
VSN/RPT
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