A wide range of sports tournaments were organised in Da Nang in 2024, attracting a large number of athletes from units and localities citywide. These tournaments met the needs of entertainment and sports competition for local athletes, as well as created a vibrant competitive atmosphere in the city, thereby contributing to spreading the mass sports movement in the community.

Sports tournaments in the city took place excitingly in 2024. IN PHOTO: Athletes competing at the 2024 Da Nang Youth Swimming Tournament. Photo: P.N

The Sports and Physical Training Centre under the municipal Department of Culture and Sports is assigned to organise sports activities in the city. This year’s sports tournaments were expanded in scale and attracted more athletes than last year’s.

One of the tournaments with great influence was the Olympic Run Day for Public Health 2024, drawing nearly 3,000 runners. In particular, the 1km run had more than 600 participants from the city’s Military Command, the local Border Guard Command, the Navy Region 3, Air Force Division 372, Air Defense Division 375, and the municipal Department of Public Security.

The 2km run had more than 2,000 participants, including militia and self-defense forces, athletes of the Department of Culture and Sports, students from the University of Da Nang, and people from Ngu Hanh Son, Cam Le, Thanh Khe, Son Tra, Hai Chau, Lien Chieu and Hoa Vang districts.

Mr. Nguyen Bao Nam, residing in Hoa Hai Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District, said that the Olympic Run Day for Public Health 2024 left many impressions on him. Practicing and competing in this sport helped him improve his health, flexibility, and mental comfort. He was very happy to join everyone in the event. Hopefully, this activity will be maintained regularly so that the physical education and sports movement can spread widely.

The city diversified the content of sports activities for different age groups. In order to create a playground for young people, teenagers, and children, the city hosted sports tournaments including football, badminton, Taekwondo, Karate, Voviam, athletics and swimming. In which, the youth swimming tournament set a new record when attracting more than 400 swimmers from 17 clubs in the city.

Athlete Nguyen Bao Han from the Thanh Khe District Culture and Sports Centre said "The municipal-level swimming tournament is held professionally and is highly competitive. The regular organisation of the tournament contributes to perfecting the tight competition system from the grassroots to the city. I am very happy to compete in this tournament".

To motivate and encourage middle-aged and elderly people, and people with disabilities, to participate in sports, the city successfully organised sports festivals for middle-aged and elderly people (table tennis, badminton), sporting events for people with disabilities (badminton, table tennis, athletics), and sports dance competitions for clubs.

Participating in the table tennis competition at the city's sports festival for people with disabilities, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh from the Hai Chau District Culture and Sports Centre confided "I am very happy that the city maintains the organisation of sports competitions for people with disabilities every year. This is an opportunity for people with disabilities in the city to meet, exchange, strengthen connections, and confidently rise up in life".

According to Director of the Da Nang Sports and Physical Training Centre Tran Cong Tu, the city identifies sports and physical training as playing an important role, contributing to improving the health, physical strength, stature of the people and the quality of human resources, and ensuring social security, quality of life, and happiness of individuals and the whole society.

In order for sports activities in the city to take place vibrantly, every year, the centre develops a detailed plan for tournaments. In 2024, the centre organised 3 international-scale sports tournaments, 15 national-scale ones and 21 municipal-level ones. It also coordinated with related units to organise 18 other sports activities and events. This is the basis for the centre to continue to successfully organise tournaments in 2025.

“The city’s Tien Son Sports Arena, the swimming and diving club, the Hoa Xuan athletics field, and the martial arts training and competition houses are well-equipped to host sports tournaments. In addition, to spread the sports movement widely in the community, many tournaments are held outdoors such as football, beach volleyball, petanque, etc. The regular organisation of tournaments motivates people to maintain the habit of exercising and playing sports. In 2025, sports activities in the city promise to be more exciting and attractive. In addition to annual tournaments, the centre will organise sports in the competition programme of the 10^th edition of the Da Nang Sports Festival including table tennis, cross-country, indoor soccer, beach soccer, beach volleyball, traditional martial arts, billiards, athletics, swimming, etc.," said Mr. Tu.

Reporting by PHI NONG - Translating by M.DUNG, HUỲNH QUANG