After its merger, Ho Chi Minh City has become a sprawling coastal megacity that includes Binh Duong and the beach area known as Ba Ria–Vung Tau, ideally positioned to boost various sectors, notably marine and water sports.
Abundant potential
Nature has blessed Ba Ria–Vung Tau with over 100 km of coastline, including 72 km of gently sloping white sandy beaches and calm waves year-round. These conditions are ideal for a variety of beach sports, including beach volleyball, beach sepak takraw, sailing, and traditional boat racing.
Le Trung Nghia, Deputy Head of the HCM City Sailing Club, observed that the open sea terrain, extensive flat beaches, and stable climate provide an excellent setting for numerous marine sports. The steady waves at Bai Truoc beach could become a training centre to host sailing competitions.
While Dinh River Bay in Vung Tau ward has hosted many sailing events, the greatest potential lies in Bai Truoc and Bai Sau, he noted, adding that these areas can be annual venues for national sailing championships, SEA Games, and even continental tournaments.
While the open sea offers an ideal space for beach and sailing sports, Da Bang Lake in Nghia Thanh commune is regarded as a “blue gem” for expanding HCM City’s water sports map. Built in 1983 and covering nearly 2,500 ha, the lake’s calm surface and lack of waves meet rare criteria for rowing, canoeing, and traditional boat races.
Tran The Thuan, Director of the HCM City Department of Culture and Sports, highlighted that post-merger, HCM City has huge potential and leads Vietnam in developing rowing sports. Besides beautiful beaches, the city’s large lakes can host major tournaments.
Da Bang Lake, in particular, offers an ideal natural venue that meets professional standards and has ample space for important events. This advantage supports both grassroots sports development and elite athlete training.
Thuan also noted that the department is working with investors and relevant agencies to develop Da Bang Lake into a training hub and a venue for domestic and international competitions. The area is to become a sports tourism destination attracting athletes, tourists, and event participants.
Goal of becoming an international-standard marine sports centre
Recently, HCM City has solidified its position as a “marine sports hub” by hosting numerous national and regional competitions in beach volleyball, handball, sepak takraw, kurash, and beach wrestling. Notably, the 2025 Open Sailing Regatta at Bai Sau attracted 80 athletes from eight clubs across Vietnam, the US, and Australia.
Da Bang Lake also hosted the 2025 National Traditional Boat Racing and Youth Canoeing Championships for U21 and U23 categories, drawing nearly 800 coaches and athletes from 19 provinces. The Vietnam Sports Administration praised the professional, safe, and large-scale organisation.
Tran Thi Thu Hien, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports, emphasised that these events lay the groundwork to build HCM City’s marine sports brand. The city aims to integrate marine sports into national, regional, and international competition systems.
Vung Tau’s vibrant image and potential have impressed international visitors. Michael from Australia, both a tourist and amateur athlete, shared that Vung Tau has a unique charm - beautiful beaches, convenient services, and is not overcrowded.
However, realising this ambition faces a major hurdle - infrastructure competition. Nguyen Hai Duong, Vice President and Secretary General of the Vietnam Rowing Federation, explained that rowing in Vietnam has long struggled due to a lack of standard venues. Da Bang Lake is an ideal area, with calm, wide water meeting length and width standards.
If investments proceed systematically, HCM City could become Southeast Asia’s marine sports destination, capable not only of hosting national championships but also SEA Games and even Asian or international events, Duong stated.
The city’s long coastline, stable waves, and large calm lakes make it perfect to support diverse sports from sailing to rowing and canoeing, with year-round training -something many regional locations cannot match.
Yet, experts held that the main challenge remains infrastructure. HCM City’s marinas, training zones, accommodation, and logistics services are not yet as developed or integrated as those in Phuket, Bali, or Sentosa. Addressing this “bottleneck” is crucial to turning natural advantages into a globally recognised marine sports brand./.
