The education sector plus sports must be improved for the emergence of educated, disciplined, healthy and fit outstanding youths, said Vice-Senior General Soe Win.
Vice-Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win said so at the opening of the Inter-University Sports Competitions for the 2023-24 academic year of the Ministry of Education at Wunna Theikdhi Gymnasium (B) in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
Speaking on the occasion, the Vice-Senior General highlighted that the Ministry of Education creates chances for youths to learn education plus sports while emphasizing the development of physical and mental strengths of the youths and sports sector in addition to upgrading school sports grounds.
He recounted that the Myanmar sports contingent comprising university students participated in the 5th SEAP Games hosted by Myanmar in Yangon from 6 to 13 December 1969, sweeping 57 gold, 46 silver and 43 bronze medals on the chart’s top position. Of them, he continued, university students of the contingent secured six gold, four silver and five bronze medals.
The Vice-Senior General noted that Myanmar is currently actively participating in the ASEAN University Games-AUG with great success.
Concerning the success of university students, he said that 33 Myanmar athletes participated in football, archery, Sepak Takraw and Wushu events of the 20th ASEAN University Games held in Thailand in 2022, bagging two gold, two silver and two bronze medals. Hence, he continued that the government deservedly honoured those victorious university athletes.
He underscored that the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs assists in conducting training courses for physical training teachers in relevant regions and states in the basic education sector. Likewise, Dagon University and Yadanabon University open BSc (Sports) courses in higher education in cooperation with the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs. In conclusion, the Vice-Senior General urged university student-athletes to compete in sports events under discipline, sports techniques and sporting spirit in order to uplift the prestige of the State.
The Vice-Senior General launched the Inter-University Sports Competitions for AY 2023-24 and cordially greeted athletes, managers and coaches.
He also enjoyed exercise dance, physical fitness dance, pom-pom dance, and the Kayin don dance of university students.
The competitions comprise football, volleyball, track & field, Sepak Takraw and table tennis events at Wunna Theikdhi Stadium, gymnasiums and football training grounds in Nay Pyi Taw. More than 1,160 athletes, managers and coaches from various universities will participate in the competitions from 9 to 18 January 2024. — MNA/TTA
