Hanoi, Vietnam, April 17, 2026: Vietnamese athletes are targeting gold medals at the 2026 Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China, later this month, as the national delegation ramps up preparations for the continental event, Vietnam News reports.
The 90-member delegation is led by Chef de Mission Lê Thanh Hà, deputy head of the Sports Authority of Việtnam’s Elite Sports Department.
Athletes will compete in eight sports - handball, jiu jitsu, wrestling, dragon boat, open water swimming, beach athletics, sailing and teqball - from April 22 to 30.
Hà said coaches and athletes had trained thoroughly for the continental Games. In addition to technique, their mental readiness had also been prepared and all were ready for competition. However, he acknowledged that the 2026 ABG would present many challenges as countries and regions across the continent would send their strongest competitors.
He added that all athletes were remaining focused on their performance to compete at their best.
Leaders of the Sports Authority of Việtnam (SAV) recently met the 2026 ABG delegation and assigned tasks to each participant. They were considered Vietnamese ambassadors at the event, where they were expected to promote Việtnam to international friends while aiming to bring home gold medals based on their preparation and talent.
Among the teams, the women’s beach handball squad is expected to top the podium as defending Asian champions, having won three consecutive titles from 2023 to 2025. They are also set to compete at the upcoming world championship in June in Croatia.
Other medal hopes include Asian champion Nguyễn Huy Hoàng and SEA Games winner Võ Thị Mỹ Tiên in swimming, SEA Games champions Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Hạnh, Đặng Thị Linh and Ngô Văn Lâm in wrestling, Đặng Đình Tùng and Trần Hồng Ân in jujitsu and Vũ Thị Ngọc Hà and Bùi Thị Kim Anh in athletics.
The sixth ABG will feature 14 sports, 15 disciplines and 62 events.
In the previous Games held in Đànẵng City, hosts Việtnam topped the medal tally with 52 golds, followed by Thailand with 36 golds and China with 13.