More than 1,700 athletes representing 20 military academies, officer schools, and army universities converged for the opening of the 2026 military sports festival.
Opening Ceremony and Leadership Directive
Lieutenant General Nguyen Ba Luc, deputy chief of the General Staff and head of the organizing committee, delivered the opening address at the tournament. He framed the 2026 sports festival as a practical observance honoring major national and military milestones, while actively advancing the nation’s physical training movement modeled after President Ho Chi Minh. According to the opening remarks, the rigorous schedule aims to enhance the overall quality of education, training, and combat readiness among future officers.
To ensure the smooth execution of the games, Lieutenant General Nguyen Ba Luc instructed the organizing committee and affiliated institutions to enforce strict discipline and maintain absolute safety throughout every event. Officials also established a formal mechanism for managing disputes, requiring referees to carefully review video evidence when evaluating complaints from competing delegations to guarantee fair rulings. Furthermore, Lieutenant General Nguyen Ba Luc requested that the participating academies, officer schools, and universities continue doing their best regarding education, while ensuring strict compliance with school regulations, military discipline, the rules of the organizing committee, and safety regulations throughout the entire sports festival.
Event Schedule and Disciplines
The competition slate encompasses nine sports. The official program features football, volleyball, badminton, pickleball, table tennis, military physical conditioning, swimming, an obstacle course, a 3,000-meter running race, and a 3,000-meter armed race. A football match also took place between the team of the Political Officers Training School and the team of the Army Officers Training School 2.
Early results emerged during the morning sessions on October 19. In the individual all-around category of the “Healthy Soldier” competition, Vu A Hung representing the Political Officers School secured first place with a total of 1697 points.
Early Badminton and Volleyball Results
Racquet sports action delivered swift finals on October 19. In the men’s singles badminton tournament, Phan Huy Long of the Political Officers School claimed the championship by defeating Hoang Duc Trung of the Armored Officer School with a score of 2-0.
The women’s singles badminton final saw Nguyen Thi Thao Ngan from the Military Technical Academy capture the title following a 2-0 victory against Vu Bui Ngoc Ha of the Air Defense Academy.
