Since its establishment in 2017, the Da Nang Basketball Development Centre (BDC) has been considered as one of the city’s well-equipped fitness and sports centres thanks to its modern, refreshing and fully-equipped facilities, plus well-qualified trainers.

Over the years, BDC has made efforts to create a playground for young basketball lovers in Da Nang. (Photo taken before the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Da Nang). Photo courtesy: BDC

Up to now, BDC has opened 3 basketball stadiums in the culture and sports centres in the districts of Thanh Khe and Son Tra, and the Cam Le District-based Nguyen Khuyen Junior and Senior High School.

Manager of BDC said Nguyen Truong Minh said his centre is providing complex sports classes from basic to advanced levels for children aged 3-18.

In addition to basketball classes, the centre organises sporting events to serve the community.

"School-aged children need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days to maintain their good health and fitness, and for healthy weight during growth. The BDC aims to create a useful and healthy basketball playground for children to develop their stature and physical strength" remarked Mr. Minh.

Currently, BDC has 8 trainers, 3 of whom are professional basketball coaches who are in charge of classes for gifted age groups of U9 and U11, and basic and English basketball courses.

Since 2019, the municipal Department of Education and Training has cooperated with BDC to organise basketball tournaments within the framework of the city's Phu Dong Sports Festival so as to select excellent talents for the city’s basketball team.

The selected talents have been trained at BDC with the goal of building a generation of talented basketball players for Da Nang, ready to compete in national youth basketball tournaments in the near future.

Director of the Thanh Khe District Culture and Sports Centre Vuong Tuan Kiet said that BDC’s basketball players have gained many encouraging achievements over recent years.

In particular, the Da Nang Basketball Team won the first prize at the 2020 Quy Nhon Open Basketball Tournament for Youth Clubs in the category of junior high schools. Also, at the National Youth Basketball Championship 2020 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, the city’s team brought home bronze medal in the man's 5x5 event for U16s.

In light of the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Da Nang, since early 2021, BDC has temporarily suspended all face-to-face training activities and organised basketball lessons on online platforms instead to meet a surge in demand from trainees and their parents.

When the COVID-19 situation has been basically brought under control in the city, the centre’s coaches are eagerly waiting for their trainees’ returns.

“Our long-term orientation is to continue to open more basketball classes in such localities as Ngu Hanh Son and Hoa Vang so that basketball lovers there will have more opportunities to access this kind of sports, as well as select more talents for the city’s high-achievement basketball team” emphasised Mr Minh.

Reporting by XUAN SON - Translating by M.D