The city's largest sporting event, held once every four years, drew strong attention from officials, residents, and sports fans nationwide. The program was broadcast live on Hanoi Radio and Television as well as on digital platforms.

Overview of the event. 

Attending the opening ceremony were central government leaders, including Hoang Dao Cuong, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Nguyen Danh Hoang Viet, Director General of the Sports Authority of Vietnam; and Tran Van Manh, Secretary General of the Vietnam Olympic Committee.

Hanoi leaders present at the event included Vu Dai Thang, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee and Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee; Tran Dinh Canh, Member of the Standing Board of the Hanoi Party Committee and Head of the Internal Affairs Commission; Tran The Cuong, Member of the Standing Board of the Hanoi Party Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Council; and Major General Dao Van Nhan, Member of the Standing Board of the Hanoi Party Committee and Commander of the Hanoi Capital Command.

Also attending were Vu Thu Ha, Member of the Hanoi Party Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the Hanoi People’s Committee and Head of the Games’ Organizing Committee, along with leaders of city departments, agencies and mass organizations, as well as representatives from other provinces and cities, and a large number of officials, coaches, athletes and referees.

The ceremony opened with an artistic performance combining instrumental music and songs with a heroic tone, reflecting the vibrant spirit, pride, and aspiration of Hanoi sports. 

This event was followed by a large-scale ceremonial parade held with formality and grandeur, led by the ceremonial contingent carrying the national flag, the Games flag, a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh, and the Red Flag formation symbolizing unity, resilience, and the aspiration for development.

The parade continued with formations representing the armed forces, the city police, political and social organizations, the education and training sector, civil servants and workers, senior citizens, and veterans. 

Notably, 11 emulation clusters with 22 parade formations represented 126 communes and wards across the capital, each displaying distinct colors that reflected the strong and widespread development of grassroots sports and a shared commitment to compete in unity, fairness, and sportsmanship.

In her opening remarks, Vice Chairwoman of the Hanoi People's Committee Vu Thu Ha said that in recent years, Hanoi has consistently invested in sports development in a coordinated, modern, and internationally integrated manner.

She noted that the city leads the country in mass sports and high-performance sports, contributing to better public health, a healthy cultural life, and the promotion of unity, self-reliance, and resilience in the thousand-year-old capital.

She emphasized that the Hanoi Capital Sports Games are the city's largest sports festival, serving to showcase strength, comprehensively assess grassroots physical training movements, and identify outstanding athletes for high-performance sports. 

Over ten editions, the Games have steadily expanded in scale, quality, and the number of disciplines and participants, with many records set.

Art performance at the event. 

In preparation for the 11th Games, from July to November 2025, all communes, wards, departments, sectors, armed forces units and schools across the city organized grassroots sports competitions featuring vibrant activities. These events drew nearly one million participants and helped foster a broad competitive sporting atmosphere across society.

The 11th Hanoi Capital Sports Games 2025 feature 25 competition disciplines, the highest number to date, with nearly 8,000 qualified athlete entries competing. Athletes are competing under the motto "Sports, Unity, Fairness, and Nobility," striving to demonstrate their talents and achieve the best possible results.

With this spirit, Vice Chairwoman of the Hanoi People's Committee Vu Thu Ha formally declared the opening of the 11th Hanoi Capital Sports Games 2025.

Immediately afterward, the torch-lighting ceremony was held with solemnity. The sacred flame was taken from the Ho Chi Minh Museum, carried through the streets of the capital, and brought into the Hanoi Athletics Palace, where Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Vu Dai Thang passed the flame and, together with outstanding athletes, lit the Games torch as a symbol of sporting spirit, determination, confidence, and the capital's aspiration to contribute in a new stage of development.

In a formal atmosphere, an athlete representative took the oath, pledging to compete with integrity, unity, and sportsmanship, strictly observe the rules and competition laws, and give their best efforts for the honor of their teams and the overall success of the Games.

A referee representative then delivered the oath, committing to officiate with the highest sense of responsibility, ensure fairness, objectivity, and honesty, and strictly comply with professional regulations and the Games' rules to create a transparent and equitable competition environment.

The opening ceremony concluded with a special sports and arts program themed "Radiant Hanoi, Aspiration to Rise," featuring thousands of artists, performers, and professional and amateur athletes. Carefully choreographed and modern performances rich in cultural identity portrayed a dynamic, integrated capital aspiring to advance in a new era.

The opening ceremony of the 11th Hanoi Capital Sports Games 2025 left a strong impression and marked the start of a vibrant competition period, promising new achievements and helping spread the spirit of physical training, improve public health, and build a graceful, civilized Hanoi with strong physical and intellectual foundations.