SAC Vice Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win delivers speech at third coordination meeting of Leading Committee for Organizing 5th National Sports Festival 2024
Nay Pyi Taw August 29
The Leading Committee for Organizing the 5th National Sports Festival 2024 held its third coordination meeting at the assembly meeting hall of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs in Nay Pyi Taw this afternoon, with an address by Patron of the Leading Committee Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win.
Also present at the meeting were leading committee member Union ministers, the Auditor General of the Union, deputy ministers, the Nay Pyi Taw Council member, departmental heads and officials.
Speaking on the occasion, the Vice-Senior General said that sports are defined that sports is a symbol for a polite society. Sports can bring a happy and pleasant activity leading to health and fitness of humans, creating humanely bilateral relations between individuals, human groups, human societies, races and countries. On the other hand, everybody believes that sports can flourish the moral principles such as liberty, justice and friendship as a diplomatic landscape for the world’s peace.
Outstanding athletes who can uplift prestige of the State will come out in the upcoming 5th National Sports Festival and some of them would break records of sports set at the national level and ASEAN level. Likewise, as outstanding athletes from ministries and regions and states will emerge in the sports festival, officials need to provide aid for those outstanding athletes for their longlasting standing. Athletes who will take part in the sports festival have to try hard to be able to bring honour to the State.
Although it can take some three months ahead of the sports festival, officials from committees and subcommittees have to make preparations in relevant sectors, hold the opening and closing ceremonies on a grand scale and manage all measures without weaknesses along the sports festival. It is necessary to nurture the athletes to have good morale and practices. Ministries and regions and states have to deservedly honour outstanding athletes from the sports festival.
In the terms of previous governments, those outstanding athletes were honoured. So also, the government of the State Administration Council in its term honoured those out-standing athletes deservedly.
The athletes who represented the nation have competed in 22 international sports events, including Asian and Southeast Asian levels, winning a total of 77 gold, 87 silver, and 159 bronze medals, bringing honor to the country. Ceremonies were held, and the Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister personally attended, awarding the athletes with a total of Ks-7,452.3 million and US$-133,900 in recognition of their achievements. This recognition aims to inspire the new generation of youth to aspire to national pride.
At the event celebrating “International Youth Day 2024” held at Wunnatheikdi Sports Complex (A) in Nay Pyi Taw on August 12, the Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister discussed the government’s youth policy. He emphasized three social directives, including the aim to develop youth as the main driving force in the country’s development processes by enhancing the five capabilities. He also highlighted the importance of further and more effectively promoting youth development compared to the past.
Additionally, the government encouraged today’s youth to pursue various sports for their physical fitness, and from among these youths, national athletes who can bring honor to the country should emerge. This responsibility is considered a national duty. The directives were noted as operational guidelines to be implemented by ministries, regions, and states.
Regarding the verification of accurate ages of athletes competing in the upcoming national sports festival, the Ministry of Immigration and Population will utilize E-id Software for checks. Previously, instances of bypassing age restrictions in regions and states due to a desire to win have been noted. Therefore, accurate age verification is necessary. Additionally, to prevent the use of banned substances, medical professionals from the Ministry of Health will ensure thorough checks, aiming for fair competition. Those responsible for the successful organization of the upcoming national sports festival were urged to collaborate with a sense of national spirit, and if unforeseen challenges arise, responsible individuals should address them promptly. Following this, the Chairman of the organizing committee Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs U Min Thein Zan, provided an update on the implementation status of previous meeting decisions, details of event categories, programs, and award ceremonies.
Subsequently, Union Ministers, the Union Auditor General, Deputy Ministers, and Nay Pyi Taw Council members, who are members of the organizing committee, discussed plans to conduct the opening and closing ceremonies of the 5th National Sports Festival in a grand and appropriate manner. They reported on preparations and plans relevant to their respective sectors.
Additionally, the chairpersons of various subcommittees, such as those for transport and communication, security, finance and awards, media and documentation, health, invitations and reception, ceremony arrangements, auditing, competition and techniques, accommodation and hospitality, and tribunal, along with Deputy Ministers, the Deputy Auditor General, and Director Generals, presented updates on their respective sectors, their progress, and upcoming plans for the successful organization of the 5th National Sports Festival.
Later, the Vice-Senior General coordinated necessary matters based on the discussions and presentations made at the meeting. The meeting was then concluded with a concluding remark by the Vice-Senior General.