Springtime sports activities

(Baonghean) - In the early days of the Year of the Goat (2015), many localities in the province organized mass sports activities to celebrate the Party, the Spring Festival, and major holidays in 2015, attracting a large number of people of all ages to participate, creating an atmosphere of excitement for the upcoming days of labor and production.

Springtime tug-of-war competition organized by the Farmers' Association of Vinh Tan Ward, Vinh City. Photo: Truong Sinh

In Vinh City, early spring sports activities always attract a large number of elderly participants. From the second day of Tet (Lunar New Year), hundreds of elderly members of the Thuc Vu Kinh Tai Chi Club in several communes and wards of the city participated in training and performances at community cultural centers. Currently, all 25 communes and wards of the city have Tai Chi clubs, attracting thousands of members. Ms. Cao Thi Lam, 68 years old, from My Thuong hamlet, Hung Loc commune, said: "In the first days of the new year, meeting and performing Tai Chi exercises with members of the Thuc Vu Kinh Club in my commune makes me feel more cheerful and optimistic." In addition, also in the first days of the new year, elderly members in communes such as Le Mao, Ha Huy Tap, etc., also organized chess and checkers exchanges, creating a joyful and lively atmosphere.

Along with activities for the elderly, football and volleyball exchanges among young people in Vinh City also took place quite enthusiastically before and after the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Goat. Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh – Director of the Vinh City Sports Center said: “Along with the art program celebrating the Party and the Spring Festival on New Year's Eve, the city directed 100% of communes, wards and cultural centers in villages and neighborhoods to organize cultural and sports activities and healthy recreational games. The sports activities celebrating the Party and the Spring Festival in Vinh City are diverse, demonstrating the widespread development of the movement for physical training and competition. This is the foundation for the city to continue promoting health training movements among officials and people, contributing to building well-rounded individuals and contributing to the development of the city…”

As one of the localities with the most developed mass sports movement in the province, every Lunar New Year, the communes and towns of Quynh Luu district organize many lively sports activities. From the 3rd day of the Lunar New Year, most communes organize men's football, men's and women's volleyball tournaments, and especially traditional sports such as tug-of-war and card games. For example, in Quynh Hong commune, every year on the 3rd day of the first lunar month, the People's Committee of the commune, in coordination with the Elderly Association of the commune, organizes a card game competition at the Voi Temple grounds. The rules of card games are similar to chess, the only difference being that the board is drawn on a large area of ​​more than 60 square meters, and the pieces are cards erected nearly 1.5 meters high. Therefore, this is both an intellectual competition with high strategic and tactical skills, as well as a physical activity and a sense of community, attracting many people to watch and cheer. To win against an opponent, a card game player must be calm, observant, and quick-thinking, as they face pressure from the crowd.

In addition, coastal communes in Quynh Luu district are selecting athletes and organizing training sessions in preparation for the traditional boat race at the Corn Temple Festival – a major festival for the people of Quynh Luu district and Hoang Mai town. Along with the rituals and the "Running on the River" custom, the boat race on the Mai Giang River has long become an indispensable part of the Corn Temple Festival, attracting a large number of locals and tourists to watch and cheer. This year, the traditional boat race in Quynh Long commune will take place on the morning of February 21st (the 3rd day of the Lunar New Year of the Goat) at Phu Lien village beach with the participation of 8 racing boats from various villages. Mr. Tran Quang Ve, Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Long commune, said: "This is the third consecutive year that Quynh Long commune has organized the traditional boat racing festival to pray for favorable weather, abundant catches of shrimp and fish, and prosperous business. As in previous years, before the competition, people from each village voluntarily contributed funds to help their village team achieve the best results. Thanks to this, the commune's traditional boat race is attracting more and more teams and promises to develop even further in the coming years."

In addition, preparations for traditional festivals are underway, and the atmosphere of training and competition in sports, especially traditional sports, is also vibrant in many localities. For example, in Nam Dan district, to prepare for the King Mai Festival, from the second day of Tet (Lunar New Year), the communes of Van Dien, Nam Anh, Nam Xuan, etc., have been enthusiastically organizing wrestling competitions. In Thanh Chuong district, young men from the communes of Vo Liet, Hanh Lam, Thanh Thuy, etc., are diligently practicing wrestling to compete at the Bach Ma Temple Festival. Further west, the Thai and Tho ethnic groups are also ready to compete in stick pushing, crossbow shooting, and throwing at the Lang Vac Festival (Thai Hoa Town), the Hang Bua Festival (Quy Chau), the Nine-Room Temple Festival (Que Phong), and the Van Cua Rao Temple Festival (Tuong Duong)... The vibrancy and diversity of these early spring sports activities not only contribute to improving the cultural and spiritual life in residential areas but also help each person feel more enthusiastic to compete in labor and production in the first days of the new year.

Minh Quan