Senior General Min Aung Hlaing unveiled that a plan is underway to hold the fifth National Sports Festival in the coming December to achieve success in the XXXIII Southeast Asian Games to be hosted by Thailand in 2025.
Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing delivered an address at the ceremony to honour victorious Myanmar sports teams in the Asian and international level sports competitions in 2023, taking place at Wunna Theikdhi Gymnasium B in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning.
He instructed the ministries and region and state governments to prepare for relevant sports teams to participate in the National Sports Festival 2024 with might and main.
The Senior General stressed the need to arrange player selections, training sessions and plans for grasping more significant victory in order to increase the numbers of selected athletes and sports events in the 33rd SEA Games to be held in Thailand and the 20th Asian Games to be hosted by Japan in 2026.
He disclosed that the government will award winners in the 19th Asian Games and the 4th Asian Paralympics held in China in September and October 2023, the World e-Sports Championship in Romania in August and September 2023, the 14th World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship in Korea in November and the 19th World Petanque Championship in Thailand and the World Vovinam Championship in Viet Nam respectively.
The Senior General recounted that the Myanmar sports contingent secured one gold medal in the four men’s Sepak Takraw event in the 19th Asian Games, two bronze medals in the 12-oar women’s 500-metre and 12-oar men’s 1,000-metre traditional boat race, standing 27th position among 45 contending countries whereas taking 35th position in the 18th Asian Games with two bronze medals.
He praised the athletes for securing two bronze medals in the 100-m and 200-m short distance race and one bronze in the 100-m short distance race in the 4th Asian Paralympic Games.
Moreover, he continued that Myanmar secured one silver medal in the Dota 2 of the World E-Sports Championship, one gold in the Men’s Sports Physique up to a 175-centimetre event and one silver medal in the men’s 70-kilogramme bodybuilding event in the 14th World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship.
In addition, Khin Cherry Thet of Myanmar was honoured as the world’s 1st position in securing a gold medal in the 19th World Petanque Championship, he added.
The Senior General claimed that 32 Myanmar athletes bagged two gold, three silver and nine bronze medals in the 7th World Vovinam Championship, taking the 6th position globally.
He praised victorious athletes, including managers and coaches, for excellently securing five gold, five silver and 14 bronze medals in the Asian and world-level competitions.
He declared to award K30 million each to gold medallists, K20 million each to silver medallists and K10 million each to bronze medallists, totalling K390 million to honour them for their vigorous efforts in taking training and competitions so as to bring honour to the State.
Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs U Min Thein Zan reported on athletes’ competitions in the Asian and international sports competitions in 2023.
The Senior General presented awards to Sepak Takraw, Bodybuilding and Physique, Petanque, and Vovinam teams, respectively.
The Joint Secretary and council members also presented awards to the victorious teams.
The Senior General cordially greeted victorious athletes and coaches and joined a tea party with the victorious athletes, managers and coaches from the sports teams. — MNA/TTA
