HCM CITY — With drums, displays and record-breaking numbers, the opening ceremony of the HCM City School Sports Festival for the 2025–26 academic year has launched a new season of large-scale school sports activities across the city. The event was jointly organised by the HCM City Department of Education and Training, the Department of Culture and Sports and the HCM City Vovinam Federation, with Nestlé MILO participating as a supporting partner.

The festival reflects the city’s consistent policy of building a dynamic learning environment and promoting physical training as part of students’ holistic development. This year, the programme features 20 sports, designed to accommodate students with different physical conditions, interests and abilities.

For the first time, the festival is being implemented across two competition levels aligned with newly adjusted administrative boundaries following recent mergers. The new structure is expected to expand participation and strengthen the school sports movement citywide.

During the opening ceremony, the Việt Nam Records Organisation (VietKings) and the World Records Organisation (WorldKings) awarded certificates recognising the largest Vovinam martial arts mass performance by students to the HCM City Department of Education and Training, the Việt Nam Vovinam Federation and Nestlé Viet Nam Co Ltd. The record was established in December 2025 with the participation of more than 738,000 students at 1,442 schools across the city.

Speaking at the event, Nguyễn Văn Hiếu, Director of the HCM City Department of Education and Training, described the double record as “vivid evidence of the discipline, determination and aspiration to excel among HCM City students.”

He said the achievement underscored the role of school sports in comprehensive education, contributing to physical strength, mental resilience and positive values.

From this milestone, he added, the 2025–26 School Sports Festival officially begins, reaffirming the importance of physical education in nurturing students’ discipline, confidence and healthy lifestyles.

Meanwhile, Lê Bùi Thị Mai Uyên, Head of MILO and Dairy Business at Nestlé Viet Nam, said the company remained committed to promoting diverse forms of physical activity for students.

“By supporting a festival that includes 20 sports, we hope to encourage students to explore different types of physical activity and develop their strengths,” she said, adding that “every sport has its own value, and every effort to stay active helps students go further.”

The festival is expected to continue energising school sports in HCM City, contributing to the development of a healthy, confident and resilient younger generation. — VNS