The information was released at a ceremony held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with Vietnam General Department of Sports and Physical Training, to announce the sponsors for the Games.

The organising board has signed two sponsorship contracts with Football Thai Factory Sporting Good Limited Company from Thailand and Bao Viet Insurance Corporation from Vietnam worth nearly US$965,000 and VND550 million respectively.

Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Khanh Hai, who is also head of the ABG 5, emphasised that the ABG is one of the biggest biennial sporting events formed by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and held for the first time in 2008 in Bali, Indonesia.

Around 6,500 athletes, coaches and officials from 45 countries and territories in Asia are expected to gather at the ABG 5, scheduled from September 24 to October 3.

The event will feature 172 sets of medals in 22 events including swimming, water polo, Kabaddi, men’s football, Muay Thai, Vietnam martial arts and sepak takraw. Athletes will compete at four locations: East Sea Park, My Khe beach, Phuong Trang project area and Son Thuy seaside resort.

The ABG 5 is expected to contribute to socio-economic and tourism development in Vietnam as well as promoting the image of the land and people of Vietnam to the world and enhancing the friendship with international friends, said a representative of the organising board.