In 2023, most of athletes who are playing for Da Nang’s high-achievement sports teams gained high results in domestic and international arenas. To maintain its position in the coming years, the city is exerting its efforts to create the best conditions for the athletes to live and practice, while promoting the selection and training of sports talents.

Da Nang always creates the best conditions for athletes to live and practice, while promoting the selection of sports talents. IN PHOTO: Da Nang athletes make efforts to practice. Photo: P.N

Impressive achievements

In the last days of 2023, although the year's tournaments have been already completed, the training atmosphere at the Da Nang Sports and Gymnastics Athletes Coaching and Training Centre still takes place in a regular manner.

Currently, the city has a total of more than 580 high-achievement athletes training and competing in 34 sports, including 4 team ones.

During the year, local athletes won 8 gold, 5 silver and 5 bronze medals at SEA Games 32; 3 silver medals at ASIAD 19; and many medals at national championships.

Those who made outstanding contributions to high-achievement sports in Da Nang include Ho Thi Ne, Tran Thanh Cuong, Tran Tuong Khang, Hien Nam, Hoang Quy Phuoc, Tran Le Tan Dat, Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuc, Nguyen Thanh Ngung, Pham Thi Hue, Nguyen Lam Kieu Diem, Tran Thi Kiet, Huynh Van Cuong and Nguyen Hoai Thuong.

According to Mr. Tran Do Quang, Deputy Director in charge of the Da Nang Sports and Gymnastics Athletes Coaching and Training Centre, in 2023, the city's high-performance sports reaped significant results.

Among them, SEA Games 32 was one of the successful sports events. Although some strong sports of the city were not included in the list of competition sports at SEA Games 32, local athletes strived to win valuable medals.

He noted that the aforementioned results were greatly attributed to huge efforts and strong determination of local athletes, and the special care of city leaders and coaches. Those gold medals were the great motivation for athletes to continue striving, aiming for bigger playgrounds in the future.

Selection of young talents promoted

Over the past years, the city has maintained a stable advantage at national and international championships in strong events such as athletics, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, rowing, taekwondo, jujitsu, pencak-silat, billiards, kickboxing, traditional martial arts, beach soccer and diving.

These are sports that the city has spent a lot of investment resources for the development.

Aside from creating the best conditions for athletes to live, practice, and maintain their performances at sports tournaments, the city has promoted the selection of talented athletes.

The selection of athletes for the city’s high-achievement sports team is conducted through two forms. Specifically, at sports tournaments organised by units, localities and the city, coaches directly monitor and select athletes who meet the criteria.

In addition, every year, the Da Nang Sports and Gymnastics Athletes Coaching and Training Centre selects talented athletes for training. However, it is not easy to find truly outstanding young talents.

For example, swimming is one of the Olympic sports invested in and developed by the city. However, after the peak of outstanding swimmers Hoang Quy Phuoc and Nguyen Huu Kim Son, the swimming sector has yet to seek a worthy team.

According to Mr. Tran Do Quang, like other sports, the development of swimming is promoted by the city.

Every year, the Da Nang Sports and Gymnastics Athletes Coaching and Training Centre organises the selection of talented athletes aged from 8 - 11 nationwide to join the city's youth swimming teams.

From 60 registered children, through the steps of testing, screening, and temporary recruitment (temporary recruitment for less than 2 months and only funding for nurturing, no salary), the 20 most outstanding children have been chosen for training.

“After the training process, many children showed their talents and gradually developed. However, there is no way to find talented athletes with outstanding expertise like Hoang Quy Phuoc. In the immediate future, athletes with good results from the city’s swimming team will be given the opportunity to train at home and abroad with an eye toward important tournaments in 2024. In the near future, the centre will continue to promote recruitment and training talented athletes in many sports events, aiming to build quality next teams in order to raise the level of high-achievement sports in Da Nang", Mr. Quang said.

Reporting by PHI NONG - Translating by M.DUNG