(VOVWORLD) - The International Army Games 2021 began in Moscow, Russia on Monday drawing 280 teams from 44 countries. The Vietnam People’s Army team have been intensively trained to compete for national pride.
 The opening of the Army Games 2021 at Patriot Park on the outskirts of Moscow. (photo: qdnd.vn) |
The International Army Games 2021 has 36 games taking place in 12 host countries and territories until August 27. The closing ceremony will be held on August 29. This is the fourth time the Vietnam People’s Army has joined the Games to compete in 15 games.
Being one of the first team coming to the training field in Russia, the Vietnamese tank team has practiced hard to improve their results and get used to the game’s regulations. With a gold medal at Army Games 2020, this year the Vietnamese tank team has been listed in Group 1.
Colonel Phan Hai Long, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Tank Army, Head of the tank team, said: “When we team up, we have made our mind to fulfill assigned tasks and build strong determination to train hard from the very beginning. We will compete with our full capacity. We are very excited and determined to compete our missions.”
As a result, Vietnam finished second in Group 1 of the qualifying round of the “Tank Biathlon”, held at the Alabino military training ground in the suburbs of Russia’s Moscow.
Tank Crew No.1 of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) shot down all the five targets and completed the race in 24 minutes and 58 seconds. It followed Mongolia and outpaced Venezuela and Syria.
Senior Lieutenant Colonel Pham Tuan Luc, who heads the Engineering Army Unit at the Army Games 2021, said: “This year’s training results have been greatly improved than previous years. It is attributed to many factors, including experience from previous competitions. We have received strong support from the Defense Ministry and the Engineering Army. We had 5 months to train before the Games.”
The Vietnamese teams will compete in Tank Biathlon, Safe Route, Sea Cup, True Friend, Sniper Frontier, Gunsmith Master, Masters of Artillery Fire, Clear Sky, Safe Environment, Military Medical Relay Race, and Field Kitchen.
This also marks the first time Vietnam will host sniper and rescue events, scheduled for August 31 in Hanoi.