Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City 'race' to host SEA Games 31

The government will finalize the hosting rights in 2017, after Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City present their proposals and feasible solutions to host the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in 2021.

Hanoi is at an advantage.

Hanoi has become a strong candidate because it does not need to build new sports facilities, as it already has the My Dinh Sports Complex and the Aquatic Sports Palace. At the end of 2016, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung signed a document asking the Government to agree to the plan of choosing Hanoi as the host of the 31st SEA Games. Hanoi leaders affirmed that based on the experience of organizing the 22nd SEA Games in 2003, the Asian Indoor Games in 2009 and the existing infrastructure conditions, the capital city fully meets the requirements of organizing the 31st SEA Games.

In particular, the congress organizing committee will strive to effectively integrate the implementation of the tasks of organizing the 31st SEA Games with the implementation of socio-economic development plans in the capital and neighboring localities from now until 2020; effectively use investment capital from the budget, and at the same time have a mechanism to attract domestic and foreign enterprises and the whole society.

Phu Tho Sports Center (HCMC) is expected to be expanded to serve the 31st SEA Games. Photo: Kha Hoa

According to the draft revised project for the 4th time, the total expected expenditure is more than 1,700 billion VND (if held in Hanoi), divided into two categories: organization work 957 billion VND; investment in renovating and upgrading sports facilities 785.2 billion VND, in which the most money is spent on My Dinh Sports Complex (108 billion VND), Water Sports Palace (48 billion VND)... Revenue is about 97 billion VND, of which revenue from delegations is 79.2 billion; from sponsorship, advertising 15 billion and television copyright 2.5 billion.

"HCMC will use city capital"

In early November 2016, at a meeting between the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and the Party Committee of the Department of Culture and Sports, Politburo member and Secretary of the City Party Committee Dinh La Thang also approved the policy of Ho Chi Minh City hosting the 31st SEA Games to attract investment, tourism... to develop the city's sports industry. Mr. Thang directed: "We must have a specific plan to report to the Government that the city will host and use the city's capital, not the Government's capital."

Ho Chi Minh City plans to maximize the use of socialized resources to raise funds to organize the 31st SEA Games. Total revenue from sponsorships, contributions from delegations according to regulations... is estimated to be around 1,700 - 1,800 billion VND. If organized in Ho Chi Minh City, the expenditure will be around 2,000 billion VND but the actual expenditure will be around 300 - 400 billion VND (because there is a source of revenue to compensate).

In the draft hosting proposal, Ho Chi Minh City plans to build a new Phan Dinh Phung Sports Center into a modern 5-storey complex to organize gymnastics, billiards, basketball, and handball; expand Phu Tho Sports Center to organize martial arts, and build some more swimming pools and tennis courts here.

Rach Chiec Sports Complex, which has been unfinished for more than 10 years, will be restarted; investment will be made in purchasing new electronic targets for shooting; Thong Nhat Stadium will be renovated to organize a football group (the remaining group will be in Binh Duong); combined with Binh Duong and Dong Nai to organize some events; and the dormitory of Ho Chi Minh City National University will be used as an athlete village. In 2020, Ho Chi Minh City will also have an urban railway, so traveling for delegations will be quite easy.

Mr. Vuong Bich Thang, General Director of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, said that the industry is waiting for the hosting projects of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, then carefully considering which project is most feasible and economical to submit to the Government for approval.

According to TNO