Mass sports movement is exciting

(Baonghean) -Over the years, Con Cuong has been considered one of the districts with a strongly developed mass sports movement with sports such as volleyball, table tennis, badminton, etc.

Every afternoon, at Mr. Nguyen Viet Thai's house in Block 3, Con Cuong Town, the sound of table tennis is bustling. There are about 5-7 veteran players who regularly gather here like a club to practice together. Most of the players are over 45 years old, but their cuts are still skillful and their tops are still powerful. Although there are only 2 table tennis tables, the players who come here take turns playing and playing friendly games with each other, their laughter and chatter blending with the rhythm of the ball, making the atmosphere bustling throughout a quiet area on the banks of the Lam River.

At the “club” at Mr. Thai’s house, U60 tennis players such as Mr. Vu Van Thong, Nguyen Van Binh, Tran Manh Hung… used to practice together and compete in grassroots sports tournaments of the district and province. As a retired sports teacher, Mr. Nguyen Viet Thai “chose to participate in this club as a way to relax every day” - Mr. Thai shared. Not only that, Mr. Thai’s son, Nguyen Viet Phu, is currently a physical education teacher at Con Cuong Ethnic Minority High School, and is also a famous tennis player, having participated in and won a Silver Medal at the Central Region Student Tournament during his teaching days at Vinh University.

During the summer, when school is not available, teacher Phu opens a table tennis class for children in the town, practicing 3 times a week. Just like that, the atmosphere at the "club" at Mr. Thai's house is not only filled with the elderly but also the clear laughter of children every time they learn a new spin serve... It is known that not only at the 2 table tennis tables at Mr. Thai's house but also at more than 20 table tennis tables in other families in Con Cuong Town, there are often non-professional athletes practicing, creating a vibrant movement in families. In addition, the district has also built 48 football fields and 120 volleyball courts in communes and towns. In the whole district, there are nearly 2,460 families meeting the standards of sports families and 34 sports clubs have been established in many different sports. Therefore, Con Cuong is also one of the strong districts in the province in terms of family sports movement. At the Family Sports Tournament held in Vinh City in 2012, the Con Cuong team won 1 Gold Medal, 1 Silver Medal and 1 Bronze Medal.

An exciting volleyball match in the Con Cuong District Sports Festival 2013.

If in Con Cuong, table tennis is for families, badminton is a popular office sport. Civil servants go to work every day, and in the afternoon, they gather at the agency's badminton court to practice and compete together. Almost every agency and unit located in the district has a badminton court and 60% of civil servants in the agencies regularly practice at these courts.

In addition, volleyball is also a sport with a strong development movement. In remote communes such as Binh Chuan, Thach Ngan... many people often play volleyball and every time there is a district-wide Sports Festival or grassroots competitions, there are always fierce matches between the teams of the communes, the Town teams, Binh Chuan, Mau Duc, Mon Son are always the strong teams occupying the top positions. At these tournaments, hundreds of spectators stand around the stadium to watch, the spectators are also the ones who fuel the sports movement in this remote mountainous district.

Talking to us, Mr. Tran Dinh Duc, Director of the Con Cuong District Culture and Sports Center said: “The mass sports movement in Con Cuong District has been strongly encouraged to develop in recent years. The Cultural Department of the District People's Committee has also coordinated with the Culture and Sports Center to organize many tournaments, with an average of 6-8 tournaments per year organized for mass athletes to exchange, while promoting the process of sports training among the people”.

Article and photos: Thai Anh