The event was attended by Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Minister of National Defense.
This is the first time the Vietnamese MND has hosted the two contests which will see the competitions of nearly 120 military personnel from eight countries, including Russia, Belarus, Laos, Bangladesh, Venezuela, Uzbekistan, Mali and the host Vietnam.
Addressing the event, Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Nghia, Deputy Chief of the General Staff and Head of the Organizing Panel of the Army Games 2021 in Vietnam, highlighted the growing trend of international integration and fine development in military, defense cooperation among militaries worldwide with a focus on effective, rich, and diverse exchange and cooperation activities.
He spoke highly of the annually-organized Army Games initiated by Russia and with more contests and attracting more troops from militaries and armed forces in the world. “This is the beauty of military culture, representing friendship, cooperation and development,” General Nghia said.
According to Gen. Nghia, the games is a good chance for participating troops to exchange and to boost mutual understanding and learn from one another. “With the noble spirit of sports for peace, friendship, cooperation and prosperity, we believe that we will overcome all difficulties and challenges towards a brighter future through activities in the framework of the Army Games 2021,” he stressed.
In his speech, Russian Rear Admiral Subbotin Andrei Nikolaevich, a representative of the Army Games 2021 organizers, emphasized the importance of hosting the “Sniper Frontier” and “Emergency Area” contests to develop defense ties, consolidate trust among participating countries in general and arms and services of militaries in particular.
He praised the great efforts of the Russian and Vietnamese defense ministries and highly appreciated the host Vietnam for good preparation for the contests amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in the world.
He said that the presence of delegates and participating troops is a clear testament to the strong stance, high resolve, spirit of solidarity, and aspiration for peace of the participants.
Also at the opening ceremony, a representative of the Russian contingent wished the athletes successes, the referee board and jury fair judgment, and the audience good impressions.
“I believe that you will have unforgettable moments of participating teams’ performances to win the championship and set new records,” he stated, adding that two Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Oleg Navisky also extended their warmest congratulations to the contests from the orbit of the International Space Station. Their congratulations can be seen through a short video screened at the Friendship House.
After the opening ceremony, athletes started their competitions at 09:00 am.
Below are some photos of the opening ceremony of the “Sniper Frontier” and “Emergency Area” contests of the ongoing Army Games 2021 in Vietnam.
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Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Nghia presenting insignia to participating teams |
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Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Nghia (center) and teams' representatives in a joint photo |
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Rear Admiral Subbotin Andrei Nikolaevich speaking at the event |
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Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Nghia speaking at the event |
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Scenes at the opening ceremony |
Translated by Mai Huong