(KPL/VNA) The 13th ASEAN Schools Games (ASG) will take place in the central city of Da Nang from May 29 to June 9, attracting about 1,300 athletes and coaches from the sports delegations of 10 regional countries, heard an event held in Hanoi on May 22 to announce the games.

Athletes will compete in 107 events of swimming, athletics, badminton, basketball, pencak silat, and vovinam.

The mascot of the Games is the red-shanked douc langur, a rare animal listed in Vietnam's Red Book and classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as endangered. Through this mascot, the Da Nang ASG sends out a message of environmental protection, encouraging each student and the community at large to pay attention to important planetary issues.

Speaking at the announcement ceremony, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thi Kim Chi, who is also head of the ASG organising board, said that organising the ASG is a right, an obligation, and a responsibility of member countries. This is an opportunity to comprehensively evaluate the current state of physical education and school sports of countries in the region, she said.

On this occasion, sports delegations will also witness the 12th Da Nang International Fireworks Festival which is slated to open on June 8 evening with the participation of eight fireworks teams - France, Italy, US, Germany, Finland, Poland, China, and Vietnam.

The ASG was first held in 2009.

KPL