Opening of the 8th Nghe An Provincial Sports Festival 2018

Panorama of the opening ceremony of the 8th Nghe An Provincial Sports Festival. Photo: Thanh Cuong

TAttending the opening ceremony were comrades: Le Thi Hoang Yen - Deputy Director General of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Nguyen Xuan Duong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province; Nguyen Van Thong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Cao Thi Hien - Member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Ho Phuc Hop - Member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department; Le Minh Thong - Member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; representatives of leaders of departments, branches and localities; and delegations of athletes competing.

The parade to show off the forces opened the opening program of the 8th Nghe An Provincial Sports Festival in 2018. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The 8th Nghe An Provincial Sports Festival in 2018 is a national festival, organized to promote and further improve the quality of the movement "All people exercise following the example of great Uncle Ho", contributing to enriching and diversifying the activities of the movement of all people uniting to build a cultural life.

Delegates attending the opening ceremony of the 8th Nghe An Provincial Sports Festival. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The 8th Nghe An Provincial Sports Festival 2018 took place from February 24 to May 15, 2018, with 18 competitions and 338 sets of medals, with the participation of over 1,000 athletes from 21 districts, cities, towns and departments, branches and sectors in the province. Before the Provincial Sports Festival took place, the Grassroots Sports Festival was held from February 2017 in 480 communes, wards, towns and 21 districts, cities and towns.

Comrade Nguyen Van Thong lights the torch on the congress's fire platform. Photo: Thanh Cuong

On the opening night, comrade Nguyen Van Thong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee lit the traditional torch of the Provincial Sports Congress. The torch lit from the Nghe An Soviet Museum is an image representing the spirit of continuing the glorious career of previous generations, passing on the torch to the next generation; is a symbol of fostering determination, noble and pure sportsmanship and the desire to reach new heights in sports.

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong read Uncle Ho's call for all people to exercise. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province respectfully read the full text of President Ho Chi Minh's call for physical exercise (March 1946). Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong called on all people in the province to continue promoting the movement "All people exercise following the example of great Uncle Ho", contributing to the successful implementation of the Campaign to study and follow the moral example of Ho Chi Minh, for a strong people and prosperous country.

The highlight of the congress' opening ceremony was a welcome art performance called "Nghe An solidarity - innovation - sustainable development". Photo: Thanh Cuong

The 8th Nghe An Provincial Sports Festival 2018 at the provincial level has 2 competition phases: The pre-Congress phase (from February 24 to May 11) organized 12 competitions including Vovinam, volleyball, crossbow shooting, cross-country, wrestling, table tennis, football, petanque, karate, beach volleyball, pole pushing and sepak takraw; the during-Congress phase (from May 11 to May 15) organized 6 competitions including swimming, shuttlecock kicking, tug of war, athletics, chess and badminton.

Karatedo competition at the 2018 Nghe An Provincial Sports Festival. Photo: Thanh Cuong

In the 12 events that have been competed, the Organizing Committee of the Games has awarded 106 sets of medals. Vinh City (18 Gold medals), Dien Chau (11 Gold medals), Cua Lo Town (8 Gold medals, 10 Silver medals) are leading the overall rankings. In the mountainous district block, Tuong Duong, Thanh Chuong, and Que Phong districts are leading./.