VOV holds a marathon as part of the National Radio Festival in July. (photo: VOV)

B: After quite a long time, we were very glad to hear from Juan Carlos Pérez Montero of Spain, who told us: “In this hot August 2024, I resume my passion for shortwave radio listening. I miss more and more the stations that existed in the last century. I’m happy to be in touch with you month after month, sending my reception reports.”

A: It’s great to have you back, Mr. Montero. VOV will continue to maintain and develop shortwave broadcasting alongside promoting our programs on the internet. We appreciate your resumption of shortwave listening and regular correspondence to VOV.

B: Naghmouchi Nouari in Algeria asks: “Do Vietnamese people like sports?”

A: I have to admit that I’m a little lazy. I do a little yoga, walking, swimming, and badminton – but not regularly. How about you?

B: I go to the gym every day to lose weight, gain muscle, be healthier and more physically active, and learn discipline.

A: That’s the sound of an aerobics class, many of which are held at parks, public playgrounds, and open spaces in residential areas in the early morning or evening.

B: But statistics show that the number of Vietnamese people doing regular physical exercise or playing a sport is small. According to the United Nations Population Fund, Vietnam is among the 10 countries with the lowest physical activity level.

A: A study by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health's Department of Preventive Medicine found that 30% of Vietnamese adults do not engage in regular physical exercise.

B: A 2019 study by the National Institute of Nutrition found that the average Vietnamese person only walks 3,660 steps per day. Office workers walk only 600 steps per day. The WHO recommends that people walk 10,000 steps per day.

A: In 2021 the General Department of Physical Education and Sports reported that the rate of physical training and participating in sports was low. Only about 35% of Vietnamese were exercising regularly.

B: Health and lifestyle awareness has become a new trend in Vietnamese society, thanks to an emerging middle class and rapid urbanization, according to social researcher Nguyen Minh Ngoc, who reported on statista.com that fitness centers, many belonging to international chains, are being opened across Vietnam. Most are located in large cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

A: Football, badminton, walking, and running are undoubtedly the most popular activities among Vietnamese people for recreation and exercise, but some Vietnamese prefer aerobics, yoga, Tai Chi, zumba, or cycling.

B: In 2018 the Prime Minister signed the Vietnam Health Program to improve the well-being, stature, longevity, and life quality of Vietnamese people in the 2018-2030 period. The program aims to promote a healthy diet and lifestyle with appropriate nutrition and increased physical activity to improve Vietnamese people’s health and well-being, raise public awareness of behavioral changes to protect health and prevent health-related risks, and provide long-term primary healthcare services to reduce the burden of illness on the community and enhance people’s quality of life.

A: To achieve those goals, the program is focused on improving healthcare for children and students, reducing use of tobacco and alcohol, ensuring environmental sanitation and food safety, detecting and managing non-communicable diseases, providing community-based healthcare, and delivering healthcare services to the elderly and workers.

B: The Vietnam Health Program links other related programs and projects to help achieve these goals. In 2031 the program will conduct a review of its results.

A: Last month we reported a lot of heavy rain and flooding in several parts of the world that has killed scores of people and displaced thousands more. In Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and the Philippines, flash floods and torrential rain have killed hundreds of people as the climate crisis amplifies the effects of the monsoon season.

B: Some of our listeners have asked about the situation in Vietnam and the weather forecast for the coming months. Many places in Vietnam, too, have suffered from storms, torrential rains, and floods in the past few weeks. 

A: Heavy rains last week caused five deaths and damaged property in Vietnam’s northern provinces. Hundreds of houses collapsed or were flooded. Floods and landslides destroyed crops and animals, and riverbanks, walls, and roads were eroded by prolonged torrential rains.

B: Vietnam’s National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting says that La Nina is about to bring higher-than-average rainfall this month to northern Vietnam and Vietnam’s central region is also facing a risk of intense rain and flooding in the next few months.

A: La Nina will begin to take effect in late August and September, coinciding with the rainy season in central Vietnam. Storms and flooding in the central region is likely to be intense from late September through October and November.

B: Now we’d like to acknowledge reception reports and feedback from our regular listeners. Mr. Najimuddin of India tuned in to our English program on the frequency of 7220 kHz using a Grundig YB 80. He rated SINPO 44343 and reported a moderately good signal.

A: He said: “VOV world news updated the situation in the Middle East. I enjoy your very nice songs. Your programs are always my favourite for reliable information.”

B: Ridika Ridi of Bangladesh also noted that the frequency of 7220 kHz has good signal. He tuned in to this frequency on August 5th and rated SINPO at all 4s.

A: Rajarshi Roy, an Indian student, said the frequency of 7220 KHz to Central Asia is good with SINPO rating at 33433. He often tunes in to VOV’s English program on 16 UTC.

A: Thank you all for listening to VOV and sending us your feedback. We’ll send QSL cards to verify your reports and some souvenirs as a token of our thanks. We welcome your feedback at: English Service, VOVWorld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at englishsection@vov.vn. You’re also invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs.

B: Check out our VOV Media App, available on both the IOS and Android platform, to hear our broadcasts. We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening. Goodbye!