The meeting is expected to open up many new opportunities for the development of this sport in Vietnam in the future.
During the meeting, Deputy Director Nguyen Hong Minh expressed his pleasure in welcoming Ambassador Pavlin Todorov and highly appreciated the Ambassador's special interest in Vietnamese sports. In the traditional cooperation between the two countries, Vietnam and Bulgaria have achieved many remarkable results. This relationship is marked by the significant contributions of Bulgarian experts who have provided training support to Vietnam in key sports such as weightlifting and gymnastics. In addition, many generations of Vietnamese sports officials have been sent to study, research, and develop their skills at prestigious training institutions in Bulgaria. Looking to the future, the Deputy Director expressed his hope that Bulgarian experts will continue to accompany and support the improvement of Vietnamese athletes' performance.
Deputy Director of the Vietnam Sports Department Nguyen Hong Minh receives the Bulgarian Ambassador to Vietnam, Pavlin Todorov.
Sharing about the current cooperation framework, Ambassador Pavlin Todorov stated that this is his third years in Vietnam. Although the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have signed a memorandum of understanding creating a solid legal framework, there is still much valuable untapped potential in the sports sector between the two countries. Recalling the previous period when the two countries had very effective cooperation in this field, the Ambassador expressed his hope that both sides would continue to leverage their internal strengths to further promote bilateral cooperation.
Ambassador Pavlin Todorov emphasized that Bulgaria has a particular strength in sports, with rhythmic gymnastics having over 50 years of experience participating in international competitions and possessing a highly systematic training system for coaches and athletes. Wishing to promote this sport in Vietnam, the Ambassador proposed connecting and introducing enthusiastic coaches from Bulgaria to work alongside Vietnamese sports. To realize this, the Ambassador wishes to gain a deeper understanding of the current situation and actual needs in Vietnam in order to find common ground on the journey of developing the rhythmic gymnastics movement and high-performance sports.
The meeting took place on the afternoon of July 13th at the headquarters of the Vietnam Sports Department.
Responding to the Ambassador's proposals, Deputy Director Nguyen Hong Minh stated that the Vietnamese national team has participated in regional tournaments and has initially achieved some notable successes. In the past, the Vietnamese women's team also received direct guidance and support from Bulgarian coaches. Therefore, the Deputy Director fully agreed with the proposal to send Bulgarian experts to assist in training. The Deputy Director also welcomed the Ambassador's broad perspective, noting that the training should not be limited to athletes but should also focus on improving the capabilities of domestic coaches.
Regarding the development direction of the sports movement that Bulgaria is interested in, Deputy Director Nguyen Hong Minh affirmed Vietnam's strong agreement. Currently, the rhythmic gymnastics movement is developing most strongly in the two major hubs of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which serve as training bases for the national team and also boast a vibrant system of international clubs. While expressing agreement in principle with the Bulgarian side's proposals for developing the movement, the Deputy Director also noted that all future activities must strictly adhere to current Vietnamese laws and regulations.
Regarding the long-term goal shared by the Ambassador – that the Bulgarian experts will not only focus on building a grassroots movement but also aim to train world-class and Olympic-level athletes – the Deputy Director acknowledged and highly appreciated this goodwill. Deputy Director Nguyen Hong Minh expressed his sincere gratitude to Ambassador Pavlin Todorov for acting as an important diplomatic bridge, opening up opportunities for a comprehensive breakthrough for rhythmic gymnastics in Vietnam. The meeting also revealed a shared belief from both sides that the discussed issues would be implemented as soon as possible.
Ha Phuong