In his opening speech, Nguyen Danh Hoang Viet, Director of the Sports Authority of Vietnam under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, emphasised that this year's theme, “Navigating Sports – Contributing to Sustainable Development,” reflects the shared vision of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to make sports a driving force for health, unity, and social development.

Viet noted that in recent years, ASEAN sports have achieved remarkable successes, hosting successful SEA Games, promoting community sports activities, and numerous athletes from the region establishing their positions on the continental and world stage. However, to achieve sustainable development, ASEAN sports must address challenges such as social changes, the pressures of international integration, and the need to balance performance with development.

In this spirit, ASEAN nations will continue to cooperate on key goals, including developing sports for public health and community welfare, improving the quality of life with regular physical activity, and promoting high-performance sports linked with science and technology to enhance athletes in the region. ASEAN will also continue to focus on preserving and promoting traditional sports, creating a distinct identity amidst global integration, he said.

Sports are not only about medals or achievements, but a reflection of people, culture, and unity, he underlined. With the spirit of a united and dynamic ASEAN, the consensus of member states will help build a creative, sustainable ASEAN sports community that contributes to the region’s shared prosperity.

Following the opening session, the conference approved the agenda, which includes the final evaluation of the ASEAN Sports Action Plan for the 2021–2025 period, the ASEAN-FIFA Memorandum of Understanding, and the ASEAN High Performance Sports Training Centre in Malaysia – a key project aimed at improving training capabilities and developing sports in the region.

In the afternoon, SOMS-16 celebrated the ASEAN Sports Day, and listened to reports on the preparations for the 33rd SEA Games and 13th ASEAN Para Games in Thailand – two events seen as benchmarks for the spirit of unity and organisational capacity of Southeast Asian sports./.