Since Quang Nam-Da Nang Province was officially divided into the 2 administrative divisions of Quang Nam Province and Da Nang in early 1997, Da Nang’s sports sector has gradually affirmed its position in the domestic arena.

The annual VNG IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam triathlon has made significant contributions to creating a brand name for Da Nang in term of sports. Photo: BAO AN

In early January 1, 1997 when Da Nang was separated from the former Quang Nam - Da Nang Province, the city’s sports sector almost had to start over when most of the excellent athletes at that time moved to Quang Nam Province.

Not only that, with a population of only 800,000 people, the city found it difficult to select talents for the city’s professional teams because parents at that time put cultural learning first. In addition, the Chi Lang Stadium and the high-performance swimming pool were downgraded.

During that difficult period, leaders of the city’s sports sector went the extra mile to help the sector gradually assert itself in the domestic arena. Notably, karate fighter Vu Kim Anh contributed a gold medal to Viet Nam's tally at SEA Games 20 in 1999.

Thanks to its initial success, Da Nang’s sports sector gradually gained the confidence from the city leaders. Since then, training centres and yards have been upgraded.  Such local athletes as Hoang Quy Phuoc, Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuc, Tran Le Quoc Toan, Duong Thi Thanh Minh, and Nguyen Thanh Ngung have continued to bring glory to the city's sports with their successes gained in the domestic and international competitions.

Moreover, many preferential policies have been issued for coaches and athletes by the city’s sports sector over recent years in an effort to select excellent talents for the city's high-achievement sports teams.

Besides, the city is on domestic hunt for talented athletes in different age groups for the city’s high-achievement sports teams. By joining such the teams, selected athletes will have the opportunity to enjoy the city’s preferential policies, attend short and long-term training courses at both home and overseas, and develop their professional skills as much as possible.

Director of the Da Nang Athlete Training Center Nguyen Dong Hai confided "In order to look for sports talents, we have to go to many regions across the country. After learning about the conditions for studying, living and practicing in Da Nang, parents of sports talents are completely assured about their children's future”.

Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports Nguyen Trong Thao remarked, over recent years, many sporting events have been successfully organized in the city, such as the IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam triathlon, the Danang International Marathon, with the participation of a large number of domestic and international professional athletes. This has significantly contributed to widely advertising the beautiful images of Da Nang to international friends.

As for football, the SHB Da Nang Football Club has also contributed a number of qualified players to Viet Nam’s national football team which have gained numerous outstanding achievements in football tournaments in Southeast Asia.

From annual mass sports movements, including municipal-level sports competitions, the Phu Dong Sports Festival, some sports contests for students, and  private sports clubs-organised sports tournaments, many athletes have been selected for the city’s professional teams or young athletes' teams.

After more than 10 days of staying in Da Nang on the occasion of the 5^th Asian Beach Games (ABG5) in 2016, Vice President of the Olympic Council Of Asia (OCA) Timothy Fox said that he was deeply impressed by beautiful landscape of Da Nang, and the hospitability and friendliness of the local people, which all wrote a new page in OCA history with the city-hosted most perfect ABG5.

Mr Yoshiho Fujisawa, General Director of the Dentsu Alpha Company, who was amongst persons who introduced the International Marathon to Da Nang, affirmed local sports sector has played an important role in advertising the beauty of the city and local residents to international friends, as well as bringing the world closer to the seaside city. He expressed his hope that Da Nang, and Viet Nam as a whole, will become a symbol of peace for all countries worldwide.

Reporting by BAO AN - Translating by M.DUNG