Hoang Duc Tan, director of Ho Chi Minh City's aquatic sports centre, says the unit lacks specialists in sports science, nutrition, medicine and recovery. Speaking to Tuoi Tre, he proposed scholarships and advanced training to help talented retired athletes move into that work.
His comments join recommendations from national gymnastics coach Truong Minh Sang and Vietnam Chess Federation vice-president Nguyen Tra Giang on long-term preparation and the use of training data.
People and focused investment
Tan said important performance indicators require specialist interpretation rather than observation alone. He called for coordination between central and local sports authorities on budgets, overseas camps, infrastructure and recovery expertise.
He also suggested reviewing domestic schedules so repeated competition does not undermine longer-term preparation.
Sang proposed choosing one or two priority young gymnasts for early overseas training instead of spreading resources too thinly. Accommodation, training facilities, recovery provision and specialist staff should support the next generation, he said.
Chess adds physical preparation
Giang said the chess federation is working with a sponsor to support national-team fitness and recovery. Programmes are adjusted for each player's age, health and competition schedule.
The work addresses endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, sleep and psychological recovery after games. Long matches and consecutive competition days make physical readiness relevant for chess too.
Giang emphasised that equipment measuring heart rate or training load needs qualified people to interpret the figures. Training staff and coordination among coaches, doctors, fitness specialists and nutrition experts are the next priorities identified in the interviews for making sports science useful.