Would you bring home rice to feed wild chicken?

(Baonghean) - When our country won the right to host the 18th Asian Games (ASIAD 18) in 2019, it must be said that not many people were excited and even very worried to receive this good news. For one thing, organizing the Asian Games will cost a large amount of budget.

At least, it will cost several thousand billion VND. Meanwhile, our country's economy is still facing many difficulties. It is also at a time when the global economy is in a state of crisis, causing the country's economy to be deeply affected and to this day it has not yet recovered from difficulties and stagnation. Production and business are stagnant. This leads to insufficient revenue to cover expenses. Public debt is increasing. Spending hundreds of millions of USD to organize a continental sports competition at this time is like "poor people playing it cool". But anyway, it's done. The remaining problem is how to spend appropriately and in a way that is worthy of the "money and rice" spent. In order to both maintain national dignity and not push the country's economy deeper into debt and crisis like some countries have encountered after successfully organizing a world-class sports event.

Building a gymnasium in Nam Dinh to prepare for the 18th ASIAD. Photo: ST

Perhaps that is why, at the presentation of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism before the National Assembly's Committee on Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children on this issue on March 18, it has become the focus of public opinion nationwide in the past few days. And the issue that everyone is most concerned about is how much money we will have to spend to organize the 18th ASIAD. According to the plan presented by the Minister of Sports, Culture and Tourism at the presentation, we will organize a successful ASIAD with the most economical budget, about 150 million USD, equivalent to more than 3 trillion VND at present. Equal to 2/10 of the total budget for the 17th ASIAD held this year in Korea.

The funding for the 18th ASIAD will be mobilized from two sources: the state budget and socialized funding. Of which, socialized funding will account for 72%. The rest will be from the state budget. It is expected that more than 4 trillion VND will be spent, and about 1 trillion VND will be collected. And so, the total cost will be about more than 3 trillion. Of which, more than 1,300 billion VND will be spent on the activities of the organizing committee and specialized subcommittees; 568 billion VND will be spent on upgrading existing sports facilities to meet the standards for use in the 18th ASIAD. More than 2,200 billion VND will be spent on investing in the construction of new sports facilities to serve the congress. Mobilize social resources to build an Athletes Village to meet the needs of food and accommodation for athletes and coaches from countries participating in the Games (which can then be used as social housing for sale to those in need)...

So, in theory, there is nothing to worry about when it comes to the financial resources for the 18th Asian Games. Because, according to the calculations of the governing ministry, the state budget only has to spend a small amount, accounting for 28% of the total cost. However, many people still doubt the possibility of successfully organizing a continental-level Olympics with such a "super-saving" plan. Because, between the theoretical calculations and the actual developments, there is a gap that is not easy to fill. If there is no backup plan, we are afraid that we will not be able to jump in time when the water reaches our feet. And then a hundred things will be poured into the taxpayers' money. So, even if we temporarily believe that the money-raising plan of the governing ministry is highly feasible, there is still an issue that needs to be clarified: what does Vietnam gain from organizing these Olympics?

As someone said, organizing the Olympics contributes to raising the country's position in the international arena. But raising the position does not depend on just this one thing and is it necessary to do such an extremely expensive thing? The position exists in each specific thing, in many different fields that are gathered together and it also takes time for the world to contemplate before people can affirm it. It is not just about pouring a lot of money to have a position right away. And saying that organizing the ASIAD is an opportunity to raise the level of the country's sports sounds a bit reasonable. But the problem is, have we taken advantage of this opportunity? For one thing, up to now, our country's sports in particular and Southeast Asia in general are still the lowlands of the continent.

The gap between continental sports and ours is a very wide gap, not easy to narrow at once. No matter how much money is poured into it, it is the same. Because to achieve high results, sports not only need abundant money but also time. Very much time. Therefore, I am afraid that in the next five years, no matter how hard our country's sports try, it will be difficult to reach the continental level. And at that time, the 18th Asian Games will take place in our country, after the qualifying round, most of our athletes will certainly become reluctant spectators. And that will only be an opportunity for developed countries of the continent to compete with each other with our people's meager money. A house like that is no different from feeding wild chickens with rice!

Therefore, we must try to do everything well to avoid feeling hurt when we have to spend a lot of money on housing for outsiders to entertain.

Phuc Vinh