Domestic and int’l sports tournaments in Vietnam to be postponed due to nCoV

All national and international sports tournaments, scheduled to be hosted in Vietnam in February, will be temporarily postponed due to the complicated developments of the ongoing acute respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus (nCoV).

The sports tournaments, planned to be held in Vietnam this month, will be postponed due to the nCoV epidemic.
The sports tournaments, planned to be held in Vietnam this month, will be postponed due to the nCoV epidemic.

The General Department of Sports and Physical Training recently sent a dispatch to the Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Departments of Culture and Sports of provinces and centrally run cities, as well as to national sports federations and associations, concerning the prevention and control of the nCoV epidemic in sports activities.

Accordingly, in the implementation of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat’s Dispatch No. 79-CV/TW, dated January 29, 2020, and the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 05/CT-TTg, dated January 28, 2020, and Directive No. 06/CT-TTg, dated January 31, 2020, on strengthening prevention and control measures against the nCoV epidemic, the General Department has asked the relevant units to temporarily suspend all national and international sports tournaments that were scheduled to be held in Vietnam in February. Afterwards, the units should consider reorganising the planned sports activities, depending on the reality of the epidemic.

Regarding the sports activities managed by localities, the Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Departments of Culture and Sports of provinces and centrally run cities, and national sports federations and associations should consider the temporary postponement of sports activities involving many people.

In addition, the sports training centres and the training establishments for athletes need to design and promptly implement prevention and control measures against the acute respiratory infection caused by nCoV in accordance with the recommendations of the Health Ministry and local medical facilities. Accordingly, the exit and entry into the training establishments must be closely monitored, in addition to minimising field training activities for athletes.

As for sports teams subject to overseas training and competition under the approved plan, the management units should work out an appropriate travel roadmap, avoiding transit in countries with epidemic-hit areas and take preventive measures to ensure disease prevention and control for athletes before, during and after their overseas training and competition campaigns.

Earlier, the Vietnam Professional Football JSC (VPF) also issued a statement on adjusting of the schedule of the national professional tournaments in 2020, including the V.League, the First Division and the National Cup.