The lingering effects of the school sports festival.

(Baonghean)After 10 days of exciting events (from April 6th to 16th), the 8th School Sports Festival of Region III, held in President Ho Chi Minh's hometown, has concluded. However, its impact continues to resonate, promising many positive outcomes for the 19th National Sports Festival, which Nghe An is striving to host in 2016.

Perhaps never before has the spirit of fair play and sportsmanship been so clearly demonstrated as at this year's Phu Dong Sports Festival. In every sport, from the qualifying rounds to the semi-finals and finals, the athletes gave their all in the competition. Fiercely vying for medals, with drama in every second and minute, they provided spectators with captivating matches, yet they displayed true "fair play," playing beautifully, innocently, and purely, embodying the spirit of "honest and noble" sportsmanship. The joy erupted after the final whistle, as the young athletes embraced each other and cried upon stepping onto the podium. This complete joy was the result of immense effort, determination, arduous training, sweat, hard work from both teachers and students, and the special care and attention of their parents.

Despite the challenges, the participating delegations at this year's National Sports Festival all had a relatively large number of high-quality athletes competing in many events. Many delegations participated with a large number of athletes, diverse in their competitions, and achieved high results, such as the Da Nang delegation with 300 athletes, participating in 11 sports, winning first place overall with 54 gold medals, 33 silver medals, and 25 bronze medals; The Khanh Hoa delegation, with 235 athletes competing in 10 events, secured third place overall with 14 gold medals, 21 silver medals, and 35 bronze medals. Mr. Ho Anh Dung, Deputy Head of the Da Nang Athletes' Delegation, stated: "For 10 consecutive years, Da Nang has achieved outstanding results in extracurricular education and school health. Through the School Sports Festival, Da Nang has contributed many talented athletes to the nation in various fields: football, swimming, martial arts, athletics... Winning first place overall is not surprising; it's the result of a meticulous and thorough training and preparation process. Before heading to Nghe An, the city held a send-off ceremony, and the athletes received encouragement and support from provincial leaders. And this time, they have been deservedly honored. The attention from all levels and sectors is the driving force for Da Nang's physical education and school sports to 'reach higher and further'."

A ball contest during a women's football match between two teams from Thua Thien - Hue.
and Da Nang.

Meanwhile, athlete Nguyen Van Sang (who won 3 gold medals in swimming for the Quang Ngai delegation) shared: "Participating in this National Sports Festival is a great stroke of luck for me. From the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony, it left me with many positive impressions. I met and interacted with many friends and teachers I had never met before. Especially, I had a high-quality platform to showcase my abilities and passion for sports. This is a major competition, and I had to put in my best effort to achieve high results and bring glory to the Quang Ngai sports delegation. But winning or losing isn't important. What I appreciate most is being immersed in the vibrant atmosphere of a major event."

Most athletes and spectators participating in the 8th National Sports Festival, Region III, shared that sentiment. This sentiment was concretized through action. The athletes competed with all their abilities and enthusiasm. They seemed to understand the importance and responsibility of their participation in this year's festival, and therefore always strived their best. The atmosphere at the competition venues was vibrant thanks to the enthusiastic support of the spectators. All of this created a colorful, diverse, and joyful picture for the National Sports Festival, Region III.

The Regional Student Sports Festival III, hosted by Nghe An, was highly praised by participating delegations for its excellent competition and accommodation conditions, which were crucial factors contributing to high achievements. Mr. Nguyen Van Thuan (Quang Ngai Department of Education and Training) stated: "During the competition days in Nghe An, we felt reassured because the host province had prepared the facilities and infrastructure quite well at the competition venues, ensuring that the athletes could compete conveniently, safely, and achieve high results."

Despite achieving success in many aspects, the 8th National Student Sports Festival, Region III, still had some shortcomings that need to be addressed for future events. The first limitation stemmed from the athletes themselves. Many placed too much emphasis on winning and losing, failing to maintain a spirit of fair play. They used inappropriate language and actions towards opponents and referees during competitions. Many participating teams had thin rosters, appearing merely perfunctory, and lacked a strong sense of sportsmanship. The host team's athletes did not receive adequate investment in training, practice, and competition attire. In many team events, the athletes were mechanically "assembled" for competition rather than systematically trained and practiced together, resulting in a lack of teamwork and consequently, poor results.

Following this year's National Student Sports Festival, we are diligently preparing our team for the upcoming National Student Sports Festival in Can Tho. With a 5th place finish out of 13 delegations, a significant achievement, we hope that the Nghe An student sports delegation will further enhance its position in this major national competition, laying the foundation for the province to successfully host the 19th National Student Sports Festival in 2016.

Thanh Phuc