The Da Nang Sports Festival 2018 opened at the Tien Son Sport Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Municipal Party Committee Standing Deputy Secretary Vo Cong Tri presenting souvenir banners to the participating teams

In attendance at the opening ceremony are Head of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training Vuong Bich Thang, municipal Party Committee Standing Deputy Secretary Vo Cong Tri, municipal People's Committee Chairman Huynh Duc Tho, and People's Committee Standing Vice Chairman cum Head of the event’s Organising Board Dang Viet Dung.

In the spotlight at the opening ceremony was the parade by a total of 20 participating teams from across the city.

Notably, a group of athletes from the Hoang Sa Islands District made their mark as they wore T-shirts on which the  words “ Hoang Sa belongs to Viet Nam”, which clearly demonstrates the city’s firm stance in re-affirming  Viet Nam’s territorial integrity and its legitimate sovereignty over the Hoang Sa Archipelago.

Municipal People's Committee Chairman Huynh Duc Tho had the honour to light the festival’s cauldron.

Municipal People's Committee Chairman Huynh Duc Tho receiving the festival’s torch from race walker Nguyen Thanh Ngung

Addressing the event, municipal People's Committee Standing Vice Chairman cum Head of the festival’s Organising Board Dang Viet Dung underlined the great significance of the festival in manifesting of the city's strength, and showing off the vivid evidence for the fruitful development of the sports and physical training amongst residents,armed forces, public cadres, workers, pupils and students in the city.

Apart from selecting excellent talents for the city’s high-achievement sports teams, this year’s event aims to pay more attention to promoting the progress of sports and physical training in order to enhance the physical strength of the general public, and create the bond between individual family members and the whole society.

The city leader emphasised a must-do to make greater efforts to promote the sports and physical training activities in a more efficient, professional manner, attracting the participation of people from all walks of life.

The opening ceremony ended with a performance of joint rotating health preservation exercises by members from the municipal Sports Centre for the Elderly, along with other attractive displays by the Luan Oanh Dance Sport Club, the municipal Karate-do Association,  and the Thanh Xuan Zumba Club.