Saola selected as official mascot of SEA Games 31
VOV.VN - Saola, a type of bovine that is native to the Truong Son mountain range in Vietnam’s central region and is listed as endangered, has been unveiled as the official mascot for the upcoming SEA Games and ASEAN PARA Games 11.
According to Le Thi Hoang Yen, deputy director of the Vietnam Sports Administration, Saola has been chosen following a design contest launched last August in order to name the mascot, in addition to creating a logo, slogan, and songs for the sporting event.
Among the 1,467 entries, the organising board went with Saola, created by Ngo Xuan Khoi, an artist from Hanoi.
According to the event’s organisers, the reason for choosing Saola as mascot is primarily to promote biodiversity throughout the country as it is a rare animal listed in the Vietnamese Red Book.
Saola represents a friendly, flexible, and nimble character that serves to perfectly demonstrate the characteristics needed when engaging in sporting activities, said Yen.
Moreover, a logo depicting a V-shaped hand as a flying bird was also chosen as the official logo for the competition’s event.
Organisers indicated that the fingers symbolise the strength and flexibility of competing athletes. The logo also conveys a message of the extraordinary will, desire to win, and resilience needed when participating in the games.
Viewers may also interpret the image as a flying dove, a symbol of peace, while the “V” can simultaneously stand for both “victory” and "Vietnam".
The organising board also selected "For a stronger South East Asia" as the official slogan of the SEA Games 31.
The songs of the SEA Games and Para Games are due to be announced on November 21.
The SEA Games 31 is scheduled to take place from November 21 to December 2, 2021, while the Para Games is running from December 14 to December 21.
