Nestlé accompanies Ho Chi Minh City's student sports event

The opening ceremony was held by Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, Department of Culture and Sports, and the Vovinam – Viet Vo Dao Federation on January 19.

The event marked the beginning of a series of activities promoting school sports in the city. The initiative underscores the city’s efforts to build a dynamic learning environment, promote physical training, and improve the health and well-rounded development of students.

The opening ceremony was held on a large scale, with innovative formats and organisation, featuring 20 sports tailored to students’ physical conditions, interests, and abilities.

For the first time, it featured two competition levels in line with the new administrative boundaries following the merger of Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. This approach has expanded the competition scale, attracted more students across the new city, and strongly promoted the sports competition movement throughout the education sector.

At the event, representatives of the Vietnam Records Organisation and the World Records Union presented certificates recognising the record for the largest live–online combined Vovinam martial arts dance performance held simultaneously at multiple schools, with the highest number of participating students worldwide.

The certificates were awarded to the participating organisations, including the Department of Education and Training, the Vietnam Vovinam Federation, and Nestlé Vietnam. The record was set in December with the participation of 738,220 students at 1,442 school sites across the city.

The previous month, 60,000 students across Ho Chi Minh City also took part in a record-breaking Vovinam martial arts music performance, which was recognised simultaneously at both national and world levels.

Speaking at the event, Nguyen Van Hieu, director of the Department of Education and Training, said, “The dual record both in Vietnam and globally reflects the discipline, determination, and aspiration to excel of students in the city. Building on this milestone, the Ho Chi Minh City Student Sports Competition for the 2025–2026 academic year reaffirms the vital role of school sports in holistic education."

The competition contributes to improving students’ physical and mental wellbeing, strengthening character and discipline, and promoting positive, active lifestyles, Hieu explained.

“We propose that the organising units ensure the competition is conducted safely, fairly, and seriously. The initiative not only promotes a sustainable culture of physical activity but also links competitions with the identification and development of talent," Hieu added. "This is complemented by communications to spread the educational values and positive image of school sports. Through these efforts, we can nurture healthy, confident students who are ready to contribute to society."

Le Bui Thi Mai Uyen, director of Milo and Dairy Products at Nestlé Vietnam, said, “As a long-standing partner of school sports, Milo remains committed to encouraging diverse forms of physical activity. We aim to help students access, experience, and develop their individual strengths through sport. By accompanying the competition across 20 sports, we hope to spread our mission of building an active Vietnamese generation, with the message that every sport carries its own values, that any sport can support students’ development, and that every training effort can help them go further.”

The Nestlé Milo brand has worked closely with the Ministry of Education and Training to implement the Active Vietnam programme since 2016. The scheme includes activities such as Energy Camp, Walking Day, and Champ Move, as well as specialised playgrounds in collaboration with events like the SEA Games, the National U11 Football Championship, the Phu Dong Sports Tournament, and the National High School Student Sports Tournament.

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