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| Vietnam Athletics Federation | |
|---|---|
| Name | Vietnam Athletics Federation |
| Native name | Liên đoàn Điền kinh Việt Nam |
| Abbreviation | VAF |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Founded | 1951 |
| Headquarters | Hanoi |
| President | Nguyễn Văn Hùng |
| Secretary general | Trần Thị Lan |
| Affiliations | World Athletics, Asian Athletics Association |
| Website | official site |
Vietnam Athletics Federation is the national governing body responsible for the promotion, regulation, and development of athletics in Vietnam. The federation oversees track and field, road running, race walking, and cross country disciplines across provincial federations such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang. It operates within the framework of international bodies including World Athletics and regional organizations like the Asian Athletics Association to coordinate participation at multi-sport events such as the Asian Games, Southeast Asian Games, and Olympic Games.
The federation traces its institutional roots to early post‑colonial sports organizing after the First Indochina War, with formalization occurring in the 1950s alongside national bodies like the Vietnam Olympic Committee. During the Vietnam War era and subsequent reunification period, athletics programs were influenced by exchanges with Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc sports systems, leading to centralized training models. In the 1990s, following economic reforms associated with Đổi Mới, the federation expanded competition calendars and engaged with federations from Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia to host regional meets. Recent decades have seen strategic alignment with continental initiatives from the Asian Athletics Association and technical support from World Athletics for anti‑doping, officiating, and coaching education.
The federation is structured with an executive board composed of a president, vice presidents, a secretary general, and technical committees for disciplines such as sprinting, middle distance, throws, and jumps. Provincial affiliates include sports departments from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bắc Ninh, and Thanh Hóa, which send delegates to national congresses. Governance documents reference membership with continental bodies like the Asian Athletics Association and global statutes aligned to World Athletics rules on eligibility and competition. The federation works with national institutions such as the Vietnam Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on funding, athlete scholarships, and international entry lists.
The federation stages marquee events including the National Athletics Championships, the Vietnam Marathon Championship, youth trials for the Youth Olympic Games pathway, and selection meets for the Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games. Grassroots programs partner with city sports centers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, and Can Tho to identify talent through school competitions and the national student sports system. Developmental initiatives include coaching clinics run in cooperation with federations from Japan, China, and Australia and talent identification programs mirroring models used by Kenya and Ethiopia for distance running.
The federation maintains membership with World Athletics and the Asian Athletics Association, and holds bilateral cooperation agreements with federations from Japan Amateur Athletic Federation, China Athletics Association, and Korean Athletics Federation. Vietnamese athletes compete at global events including the World Athletics Championships, Olympic Games, and regional fixtures such as the Southeast Asian Games and Asian Championships in Athletics. The federation also coordinates entries for road races affiliated with the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races and complies with anti‑doping regulations promoted by the World Anti‑Doping Agency.
Athlete pathways emphasize progression from provincial sports schools to national training centers, with age‑group programs targeting U16, U18, and U20 categories that feed into senior squads ahead of competitions like the Asian Games and Olympic Games. Coaching accreditation follows syllabi influenced by World Athletics and regional technical workshops hosted with specialists from Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Strength and conditioning, sports science support, and athlete education are increasingly integrated, drawing on partnerships with universities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and sports medicine expertise from institutions associated with the Vietnam National Sports Administration.
Key training hubs include national stadiums and athletics complexes in My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi, facilities in Thanh Trì District, and municipal centers in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. These venues host national championships, international invitationals, and centralized training camps for distance, sprint, and field athletes. The federation has invested in track resurfacing, timing systems compliant with World Athletics standards, and implements training block scheduling for altitude camps and climate acclimatization modeled after programs in Japan and Kenya.
Vietnamese national records span sprints, middle distance, throws, and race walking, ratified by the federation under standards comparable to World Athletics certification. Notable athletes who have represented Vietnam include regional medalists and national record holders who have competed at the Asian Games, Southeast Asian Games, and World Championships in Athletics. Prominent performances in race walking, marathon, and technical events have raised the federation’s profile regionally, and athletes continue to pursue qualification standards for the Olympic Games and continental championships.
Category:Sports governing bodies in Vietnam Category:Athletics in Vietnam