18th Asian Games to bring opportunities, challenges to Vietnam

Hosting the 18th Asian Games in 2019 would be a great opportunity for Vietnam to improve its image both in the regional and international arena, according to Nguyen Ha Le, 29, a prominent television producer here. In an interview with Xinhua, Le said that he was among many Vietnamese citizens who warmly welcomed the decision Thursday of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) for Vietnam to host the Games in 2019. In a vote at the 31st General Assembly of the OCA in Macau on Thursday, Vietnam's capital Hanoi has beaten Indonesia's second biggest city Surabaya to win the right to host the region's biggest sport event. "As Asian Games is the biggest sport event in the region, the hosting of the event will bring a lot of opportunities for Vietnam, not only in sports, but also in other areas including infrastructure, tourism and other services," Le said. Like many other Hanoi sports fans, Le heard the news on television. "I feel very happy as Vietnam has made great efforts in hosting the Games. From now on, the Vietnamese government will build moresports facilities and infrastructure support," Le said. According to Le, Vietnam should now construct more sports stadiums and improve transport and other infrastructure. "This will be a chance for Vietnam to modernize its image in the eyes of international community," he said. Many Hanoi citizens also shared Le's views, including Pham Thi Thoa, 33, owner of a sport facility shop in Trinh Hoai Duc Street in Hanoi. "I got the information yesterday. I feel very happy and proud,"Thoa told reporters. "If Vietnam hosts the event, there will be more foreign tourists to come to the country," Pham Ngoc Khoat, a 40 year-old cyclo driver said, "this will be a good chance for people working in service sector like me." The Vietnamese government and people have given their whole- hearted support for the hosting of the Games in Hanoi. According to the Vietnam Olympics Committee, Hanoi will be the main venue of the 18th Asian Games. There will be 14 other satellite sites for various sports competitions, including northern port city of Hai Phong, central Da Nang City, and southern Ho Chi Minh City. Total budget for the event is estimated at about 150 million U. S. dollars since about 80 percent of the required venues have already been built and would only be upgraded to meet international standards. An official from a sport training center in Hanoi said that he is confident that Vietnam will be successful in hosting the event. "I am very proud as Vietnam has won the right to host the 18th Asian Games in 2019. This will be an impetus to the country's sport circle including athletes and coaches to improve their skills. They have seven years for training before competing in the Games, and that's good enough for them," he said. Even he is elated over his country's hosting of the Games, Le, however, he expressed some concerns. "The Games will bring a lot of challenges to the government because the country is confronted with numerous economic difficulties," Le said, adding that construction and upgrading of sport facilities means more public spending at a time when the government is struggling to solve a lot of socio-economic difficulties. Nguyen Minh Hoang, a 21-year-old student, also said that what worries him is how the sport facilities can help in the country's economic growth when the event is over.