During the first edition of the Sport Festival for academies, officer schools, and universities, more than 1,700 athletes competed across 9 different sports, showcasing tight margins and rigorous athletic preparation, according to recent reporting. The competition extended far beyond standard soccer matches, demanding high levels of physical fitness, endurance, and technical execution from military personnel.
Securing Victory by Seconds in Elite Military Contests
Individual events highlighted the slim competitive margins separating top military trainees. In the 3,000-meter armed race, athlete Lim Van Kien representing the Special Forces Officer School claimed first place, edging out Nguyen Duc Thinh of the Engineering Officer School by a margin of just three seconds. Similarly, the competitive gap on the obstacle course between the gold and silver medal positions narrowed to 1.36 seconds. Lieutenant-general Nguyen Ba Luc, deputy chief of the General Staff and head of the organizing committee, presided over the medal ceremonies for the winning units.
Alongside track and combat-readiness events, sports including volleyball, badminton, and table tennis yielded high-level matches. According to event organizers, these razor-thin outcomes demonstrate a continuous upward trend in professional standards, training quality, and tactical preparation across all participating academies.
Special Forces Soldiers Excel in Endurance Trials
Lieutenant-colonel Le Van Khoa, deputy head of the sport team for the Special Forces Officer School, noted that physical conditioning remains a mandatory, everyday task for special forces soldiers given their high-intensity mission requirements. Consequently, athletes from the Special Forces institution excelled in foundational endurance trials like the obstacle course and armed running.
Individual preparation also shaped the results. Athlete A Lang Ngoc Tien of Army Officer Training School 2 explained that while growing up in a rural hometown provided a solid natural physical baseline, natural conditioning alone proved insufficient for competitive success. Structured training regimens ultimately refined his stamina, movement coordination, and competitive technique.
Final Standings and Total Scores at the Academy Festival
The Politieke Officiersschool (Political Officer School) athletic delegation dominated the tournament, capturing top finishes in four of the nine contested sports to claim the overall first-place title with a total score of 168. Army Officer Training School 1 secured second place with 159 points, while Army Officer Training School 2 rounded out the podium in third place with a score of 151.
Lieutenant-general Nguyen Ba Luc emphasized that the tournament functioned as a substantive festival for coaches and athletes while providing critical metrics to evaluate physical education standards. The event outcomes reflect the deliberate focus and administrative oversight maintained by party committees and commanders across participating institutions, aligning physical training protocols with national defense and security objectives.
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