Vovinam will be absent from SEA Games 2025

On October 25, the Southeast Asian Sports Council held its second meeting in Thailand, mainly to discuss issues surrounding the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 2025 in Thailand). The Games will be held in Bangkok, Chonburi and Songkhla from December 9 to 20 next year. The Games will feature 44 sports, competing for 567 medal sets.

This is the Games with the most competitions since the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines (56 events). However, despite strong support from a number of countries, Thailand decided not to include Vovinam in the competition program.

The host country's decision surprised the Vietnamese delegation and many other countries in the region. According to tradition, a sport will be included in the program when 4 countries support it. At the 33rd SEA Games, Vovinam had more than 5 countries supporting it. The Thai Vovinam Federation itself did not object to the inclusion of this martial art in the program of the Games. However, the host said no.

The decision of the Thai people ended a long and laborious campaign by Vietnam. During that journey, Vietnam had given many favors to invest in developing Vovinam in Thailand. Many athletes and experts were sent to Thailand, helping Thailand build a very strong Vovinam team. The leaders of the Vietnam Vovinam Federation and the Department of Sports and Physical Training had many times made an impact at both the Federation level and the sports management level.

The reason given by the Thais is lack of funds, but this does not seem to be a very convincing reason. Unlike sports such as football or athletics that require large investments, indoor martial arts such as Vovinam often take advantage of existing facilities, without requiring new construction. In fact, the SEA Games show that with just one complex, the host can usually organize 4 to 6 indoor competitions similar to Vovinam. Participating countries also have to pay 50 USD/person/day, so the actual cost for the host is even lower.

The inability to include Vovinam in the SEA Games program will slow down the development of Vovinam in the region. According to the regulations, if a sport is present at the Southeast Asian Games for 3 consecutive times, the host country of the next event can immediately choose it without consulting the member countries in the region. Historically, Vietnamese Vovinam has been chosen twice in 2 consecutive times (SEA Games 26, 27 and 31, 32). Not being chosen this time means that there will be more lengthy and tiring campaigns in the future.

That also partly affects the growing development of Vovinam in the world.

Vovinam is currently present in 60 countries and territories, including many developed countries such as the US, Germany, Russia, UK, France... with more than 2.5 million players. The Vovinam World Championship is relatively traditional, first held in 2002.

In 2023, the world tournament held in Ho Chi Minh City will have 650 athletes, coaches, officials... from 35 countries and territories participating, marking a strong development in breadth. Many sports websites assess that Vovinam is even in the group that can aim to be present at the Asian Games or Olympics. But even in its home country of Southeast Asia, Vietnam's martial art has not yet conquered the SEA Games.

Returning to the 2025 SEA Games, there is still a glimmer of opportunity for Vovinam as the General Secretary of the Vietnam Vovinam Federation, Nguyen Binh Dinh, said that next week, the General Secretary of the Thai Vovinam Federation will meet with the Thai Sports Minister. Since the SEA Games is still a year away, there is still hope.