Not only does Da Nang’s sports sector have enormous capacity for hosting dozens of national and international-level sports events, but it also responds well to the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As planned, the Department of Culture and Sports will host the Da Nang Karate Tournament 2021 in November. In photo: An action shot from a karate match in 2018.

Since its onset, the COVID-19 pandemic has spread to almost all parts of the city. Social distancing measures, and lockdowns of businesses and schools, which have become commonplace to curtail the spread of the disease, have also disrupted many regular aspects of life, with sports no exception.

To safeguard the health of athletes and others involved, all major and minor sporting events at regional, national and municipal levels in the city have been cancelled, shifted or postponed - from marathons to football tournaments, and more. Specially mentioned are IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam Triathlon and the Da Nang International Marathon.

Besides, the calendar of the Da Nang Sports Festival at all levels has kept being regularly altered.

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 infections in the city has resulted in the stagnation of business activities, so the city’s sports sector has faced difficulties in mobilising domestic and foreign investments into sports activities in the city.

“Given the encouraging fact that the COVID-19 pandemic in Da Nang has been basically brought under control and the city’s social distancing has been loosen, the municipal Department of Culture and Sports has planned to reorganise some sports events in the city over the next couple of months” the Department’s Deputy Director Nguyen Trong Thao told Da Nang Newspaper in a recent interview.

He added district-level sports events would be organised from early January 2022 to May 30 2022 in preparation for the 9^th Da Nang Sports Festival which is set to take place from February to September 2022.

“We will proactively develop suitable plans in the event of COVID-19 recurrence. Importance will be attached to providing free short videos of home workout for sports lovers citywide so as to help them keep their healthy, and maintain their physical fitness, as well as organising virtual sports tournaments for different age groups” noted Deputy Director Thao.

Reporting by NGUYEN AN - Translating by M.DUNG