Dien Chau promotes grassroots sports movement.

(Baonghean) - In recent years, athletes from Dien Chau have performed quite well in provincial-level sports competitions, placing the district among the top in the province in terms of grassroots sports, and consequently, many athletes have been selected for provincial teams. This achievement is thanks to the district's efforts in both promoting grassroots sports and focusing on high-performance sports.

A match at the 2014 Dien Chau District Workers-Farmers-Soldiers Volleyball Tournament.

Every afternoon, at the Dien Chau District Cultural and Sports Center and the stadiums and cultural centers in the communes and villages, lively sports activities take place. Groups of young people participate in badminton, table tennis, and sepak takraw; the elderly practice Tai Chi... creating an atmosphere of exhilaration after a stressful and tiring day at work. Mr. Dinh Van Hung – Deputy Director of the Dien Chau District Cultural and Sports Center shared: “In recent years, the physical education and sports movement has received attention and emphasis from localities in Dien Chau and is developing strongly. It has become a habit for everyone to dedicate some time after work to physical training and improving their health.”

In Dien Hoang commune, all 18 hamlets have standard cultural centers, each with a football field and 2-3 volleyball and badminton courts, helping to maintain and develop the sports training movement among the people in the commune. Regularly, every morning and afternoon, the cultural centers of the 18 hamlets are bustling with people of all ages practicing sports and physical exercise. Out of over 1,390 households in the commune, nearly 695 families regularly participate in sports, accounting for over 50%, including 440 families that have been awarded the title of "Outstanding Sports Family". Mr. Le Xuan Binh – a member of the volleyball team in Hamlet 15 – said: “After stressful hours of work, every afternoon, my whole family gathers at the hamlet's sports field to play volleyball and badminton.”

"Participating in regular sports not only ensures good health but also creates a new spirit that helps everyone in the family work and study more effectively." Mr. Ho Kim Cuc, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Hoang commune, added: "To promote the sports movement in the hamlets and the commune, in the meetings directing the 'All people unite to build a cultured life in residential areas' movement, the criteria for striving to achieve the status of a cultured family and a sports family are always mentioned. In addition, each year, the commune organizes at least 5 sports competitions between hamlets, so the movement develops vigorously and achieves high effectiveness."

According to data from the Culture and Information Department of Dien Chau district, the entire district currently has over 93,000 people participating in regular sports and physical activities, accounting for 33.4% of the population. Each person chooses a sport suitable for their age and health to practice. The quality of sports and physical activities in communes and towns has improved significantly and is gradually becoming more in-depth. Dien Chau district currently has nearly 22,000 families awarded the title of "Sports Family" (accounting for over 31%), and nearly 100 sports clubs in football, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, tennis, and health-promoting exercises.

To date, 25 out of 39 communes and towns have a comprehensive system of cultural and sports facilities, including 1 district stadium, 50 commune-level stadiums, 9 football fields for high schools, over 660 volleyball courts, nearly 700 badminton courts, 1 gymnasium, over 300 table tennis tables, 2 tennis courts, and a system of cultural centers covering the entire district from commune to hamlet level, creating favorable conditions for cultural and sports activities. In addition, the district organizes more than 10 district-level sports competitions each year, including several traditional tournaments of significant scale and quality. These competitions have fostered enthusiasm and confidence, thereby discovering and providing athletes for the district's teams and talented athletes for the Provincial Sports Training Center.

Along with developing mass sports, the District Cultural and Sports Center invests in and focuses on key sports disciplines. Besides traditional sports considered strengths of Dien Chau such as stick pushing, athletics, volleyball, and football, the district has recently developed several new sports such as sepak takraw and petanque. The District People's Committee has many policies and initiatives demonstrating its concern and care for the development of sports in general and high-performance sports in particular, such as regulations on the regime and policies for athletes, coaches, and referees; clearly defining the reward levels for each type of medal and each competition; and making appropriate investments in training facilities, equipment, and tools.

Thanks to this, every year Dien Chau district participates in the provincial sports competition and wins 30-40 medals of all kinds, and also has athletes participating in the national competition. At recent provincial sports festivals, Dien Chau has consistently ranked among the top in the province. For example, at the 7th Provincial Sports Festival held in May 2014, the Dien Chau delegation ranked 3rd with 13 gold medals, 6 silver medals, and 14 bronze medals. Each year, Dien Chau provides 8-9 athletes to the provincial sports training center's teams. "These high-achieving athletes, after retiring and returning to their hometowns, will become positive factors in promoting the development of the district's sports movement," Mr. Dinh Van Hung affirmed.

Minh Quan