Quang Tri Targets Five Gold Medals at 2026 National Sports Games
The Quang Tri sports delegation aims to secure 29 total medals, including five gold, five silver, and 19 bronze, at the upcoming 10th National Sports Games scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City. Officials outlined the targets during an official send-off ceremony held on the afternoon of October 26.
Delegation leaders selected 98 athletes and coaches following evaluations of professional standards, training outputs, and competitive performances across national and international events through 2025 and 2026. The provincial squad plans to compete across 12 disciplines in Ho Chi Minh City.
Twelve Disciplines and Talent Development Systems
Nguyen Van Tuynh, director of the Quang Tri Provincial Training Center, detailed the composition of the 98-member delegation during the October ceremony. The roster includes 10 sports drawn from the formal talent training system—swimming, athletics, rowing, canoeing, diving, petanque, badminton, karate, weightlifting, and wrestling—alongside two recreational sports, mixed martial arts and boxing.
To reach the projected medal haul and secure a final placement between 25th and 28th out of the 36 participating delegations, officials said the team must capitalize on traditional regional strengths. Particular focus rests on core aquatic disciplines such as swimming and canoeing, where provincial athletes have historically concentrated their competitive output.
Building on Post-Merger Consolidation and Past Results
The 2026 Games mark a significant benchmark for the province’s restructured sports framework, drawing on competitive legacies from prior regional alignments. At the 9th National Sports Games in 2022, former Quang Binh province claimed five gold, nine silver, and three bronze medals to finish 34th out of 65 delegations, while former Quang Tri province secured one gold, four silver, and five bronze medals to finish 55th.
Tuynh stated that the current congress provides an opportunity to unify provincial resources, build on previous successes, and elevate the local sports sector’s standing on national rankings. Initial support has already been pledged by sponsors to assist the team’s preparations.
Discipline, Safety, and Administrative Support
During the send-off event, swimming coach Hoang Quang Minh and rower Truong Thi Thao Nguyen pledged strict adherence to tournament regulations and fair play standards on behalf of all participating competitors. Athletes and coaching staff committed to maintaining high levels of discipline, safeguarding competitor health, and representing the province with a unified approach across all athletic divisions.
These challenges include the development pipeline for younger athlete generations, baseline training conditions, and funding constraints for competitions and specialized equipment in certain disciplines. Despite these hurdles, sports officials expressed confidence that athletes will convert their intensive training routines into measurable results during the Ho Chi Minh City competitions.
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