Hanoi (VNA) – With some good news Vietnamese athletes brought home at the first days of the new year, people expect many sports achievements in 2022 when the country will host and take part in a number of major regional and international tournaments.

On February 1 - the first day of the Lunar New Year, the men’s national football team defeated China 3 - 1 in the last Asian qualifying round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The win at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi not only earned the first points for the team of head coach Park Hang-seo but also helped Vietnam go down in history as the first Southeast Asian representative to secure a triumph in the last Asian qualifiers of a FIFA World Cup.

Meanwhile, the women’s national team beat Thailand one day later - on February 2 and then Chinese Taipei on February 6 at the matches held in India to officially advance to the finals of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

After the futsal team, female footballers of Vietnam have secured a success in entering a World Cup final round, believed to be an impulse for athletes of other sports to strives for important targets in 2022, especially at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games).

Following repeated delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact, the 31st SEA Games is going to take place in Hanoi and neighbouring provinces in mid-May.

As most of the sports host Vietnam selected for this event are those competed at the Olympic Games and Asian Games (ASIAD), the 31st SEA Games are expected to have the best quality compared to the previous ones.

Tran Duc Phan, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration, said the 31st SEA Games won’t omit any categories of the Olympic sports, aiming to improve the competitiveness of not only the country but also the entire region.

Athletes are being sent to more training and competitions, both at home and abroad, to prepare for the SEA Games as well as other large tourneys, including the 19th Asian Games, the 4th Asian Para Games, and the 3rd Asian Youth Games in China; the 7th Children of Asia International Sports Games in Russia; and the Francophone Games in the Democratic Republic of Congo this year, according to the official.

The administration is also enhancing coordination with ministries, sectors, and localities to make the best preparations for the coming SEA Games, Phan added.

With the sector’s efforts, the Party, Sate, and Government’s support, along with managers and athletes’ dedication, Vietnamese sports are hoped to obtain new achievements in 2022./.