Nearly 800 athletes participate in the Vietnamese Student Sports Festival in Russia 2026
WVR - On April 26, at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) Complex, the Youth Union – Vietnamese Student Association in Russia organized the opening ceremony of the Vietnamese Student Sports Festival in Russia 2026 with the theme: “Proud Generation – Overflowing Aspirations – Conquering Heights”. The first competitions of the festival also took place.
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| In 2026, the festival marks its largest scale ever with the participation of nearly 800 athletes from 30 sports delegations. (Source: Vietnamese Student Association in Russia) |
The Vietnamese Student Sports Festival in Russia is organized to create a healthy playground, promote physical training, and enhance interaction and connection among Vietnamese youth studying and living in Russia.
The event is organized under the direction of the Party Committee, the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, and with the support of the Union of Vietnamese Organizations in Russia.
The Vietnamese Student Sports Festival in Russia is a meaningful sports activity aimed at creating a healthy playground, promoting physical training, enhancing spiritual life, and strengthening interaction and connection among Vietnamese youth studying and living throughout the Russian Federation.
In 2026, the festival marks its largest scale ever with the participation of nearly 800 athletes from 30 sports delegations.
Athletes will compete in eight sports, including men's and women's football, athletics, tug of war, and chess; along with new competitions such as xiangqi, table tennis, badminton, and esports. The diversity of competition content not only harmoniously combines traditional and modern sports but also provides opportunities for a wide range of Vietnamese students from various regions, including remote areas, to participate and engage.
The opening ceremony took place in a solemn and vibrant atmosphere, reflecting the spirit of solidarity, dynamism, and aspiration of Vietnamese youth abroad. This is not only an occasion for athletes to interact, learn, and compete honestly and nobly but also contributes to spreading the positive image, bravery, and integration of the Vietnamese student community in Russia.
The program was attended by distinguished guests and representatives from the Party Committee, the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, the Union of Vietnamese Organizations in Russia, representatives from MGIMO University, sponsors accompanying the festival, and all athletes, especially the enthusiastic support of over 400 Vietnamese and international students from various universities across Russia, adding to the lively and emotional atmosphere of the festival.
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| Head of the Organizing Committee Bui Tuan Anh delivers the opening speech. (Source: Vietnamese Student Association in Russia) |
In his opening speech, Bui Tuan Anh, Head of the Organizing Committee, emphasized that the festival is an important sports and cultural event for the Vietnamese student community in Russia.
“The Vietnamese Student Sports Festival in Russia 2026 is not only a competitive playground but also a place to improve health, strengthen solidarity, and spread the aspirations of Vietnamese youth abroad,” Bui Tuan Anh emphasized, expressing his hope that athletes will compete wholeheartedly, honestly, and nobly, thereby contributing to spreading the beautiful image of Vietnamese students in the international environment.
The Head of the Organizing Committee also expressed heartfelt thanks to the Party Committee and the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia for their constant attention, close guidance, and favorable conditions for the activities of the student community.
Mai Nguyen Tuyet Hoa, representing the Party Committee and the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, affirmed the importance of good physical training in student life through sports festivals. Notably, the criterion “Healthy Student” is one of the five criteria of the “Five-Good Student” title introduced into the system since 2020.
She expressed her belief and hope that the sports movement within the Vietnamese student community in Russia will continue to spread strongly, becoming a bond that connects the community, enhances spiritual life, and motivates students to continuously strive in their studies and self-improvement.
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| Mai Nguyen Tuyet Hoa, representing the Party Committee and the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, affirms the importance of good physical training in student life through sports festivals. (Source: Vietnamese Student Association in Russia) |
Additionally, Mai Nguyen Tuyet Hoa, on behalf of Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi, extended best wishes for the success of the festival.
At the ceremony, Tran Phu Thuan, Vice President and General Secretary of the Union of Vietnamese Organizations in Russia, a representative of the accompanying unit, shared that the Student Sports Festival is an annual event of significant importance, contributing to connecting the Vietnamese student community in Russia, creating a healthy playground, and enhancing physical fitness for academic pursuits.
Tran Phu Thuan also expressed gratitude to the representatives of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) for facilitating the festival and offered encouragement to the organizing committee, volunteers, and athletes. He also expressed his desire for the festival to be conducted in a spirit of solidarity, honesty, and dedication, showcasing beautiful matches and achieving good results.
Within the program, representatives of participating athletes took an oath on behalf of nearly 800 athletes to compete with honesty, nobility, and solidarity, strictly adhering to the competition rules and decisions of the organizing committee, striving wholeheartedly for the flag and the overall success of the festival.
Subsequently, representatives of the referee team also took an oath, affirming their commitment to officiate the competitions impartially, objectively, and seriously, ensuring fairness and transparency in all events, contributing to a quality tournament in the true spirit of sports.
On the first day of competition, the group stage matches of football and chess took place with the participation of teams and athletes. In football, 16 teams from 14 delegations competed. The chess event saw 59 players from 23 delegations, bringing intense and high-quality competitions.
Notably, the finals of two events, Teamfight Tactics (TFT) and Wild Rift, were held. In the TFT event, 17 sports delegations participated, with the outstanding delegation winning the championship being the Vietnamese Student Association of Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University. In the Wild Rift event, 12 teams from 17 delegations competed and completed the final match, with the champion being the Youth Union of the People's Public Security in Moscow.
In the Wild Rift event, 12 teams from 17 delegations competed and completed the final match, with the champion being the Vietnamese Student Association of Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University.
Alongside direct events, Digital Edition events such as online chess and online xiangqi were also conducted simultaneously, attracting a total of 91 athletes (64 online chess players and 27 online xiangqi players), contributing to expanding the scale and flexibility of the tournament.
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| Representatives of athletes participating in the festival take an oath at the opening ceremony. (Source: Vietnamese Student Association in Russia)
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On May 2, the competition will continue with many important events in the sports that have been organized since the first day, including men's football, women's football, and chess. Additionally, there will be events such as xiangqi, table tennis, badminton, and tug of war.
May 3 will be the peak competition day of the festival, where all the finals of the sports will take place. This is an occasion to gather the best teams and individuals to compete for the highest positions. With the decisive nature of the finals, the last day of competition promises to bring many exciting, dramatic, and emotional contests, determining the highest honors of the tournament.
The Vietnamese Student Sports Festival in Russia 2026 is not just a simple sports playground but also a place where the spirit of solidarity, determination, and aspiration of the young Vietnamese generation studying and living in the Russian Federation converge.
In the upcoming competition days, the festival promises to bring many exciting, dramatic contests and emotional moments, contributing to creating a memorable and meaningful season.
