The Games see the participation of more than 1,300 secondary school athletes and their coaches from ten countries in the region, of which Vietnam has 190 members.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vietnam’s Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said as the largest sporting event for ASEAN secondary school students, the Games will promote solidarity, friendship, respect and mutual understanding between countries in the region.
He added that the Games are not only a place to honour sports talents but also an opportunity for ASEAN student-athletes to exchange, learn and connect with each other.
For his part, the Secretary-General of the ASEAN Schools Sports Council (ASSC) thanked the host Vietnam for its warm welcome and hospitality.
He noted that the Games are not only a sports event, but also a platform to promote friendship and cultural understanding.
In his speech at the opening ceremony, Da Nang Chairman Le Trung Chinh expressed his hope that the young athletes will have an interesting and memorable experience in the Vietnamese city.
The 13th ASEAN School Games take place from May 29 to June 6, where athletes compete for 107 sets of medals across six sports, including swimming, athletics, volleyball, badminton, pencak silat and vovinam.
The mascot of the Games is the red-shanked douc, a species listed as critically endangered on the Vietnamese Red List.
