With rich and diverse content, the physical education and sports movement in Da Nang’s Lien Chieu District is increasingly attracting people of all ages and becoming an indispensable part of community life.

Trinh Xuan Nam (left) at the chess competition for the youth in Hoa Minh Ward, Lien Chieu District in 2024. Photo: KY NAM

Competing in the 2024 Hoa Minh Ward Youth Chess Tournament, Trinh Xuan Nam, a 6^th grader at the Nguyen Binh Khiem Junior High School, said that he has loved playing chess since he was a child, so he often spends time practicing and participating in grassroots chess tournaments.

Every day, Nam reviews the games of famous players, and meets with his friends who share the same interests in his free time.

"Chess helps me practice my thinking skills, and patience, and provides an environment for me to develop. I see each game as a challenge, requiring me to calculate carefully and make the right decisions," Nam shared.

Not only pupils, many elderly people in the district also actively join age-appropriate sports activities.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Mai, 65, a resident of Hoa Khanh Nam Ward, has a habit of walking and doing physical exercises every early morning. She said that since she joined the Qigong Club under the Red Cross Society of Lien Chieu District, her health has improved significantly, and her spirit is more cheerful and excited.

After nearly 10 years of operation, the Qigong Club has attracted about 500 members. Mr. Nguyen Ba Duc, Chairman of the Club, said that the purpose of practicing Qigong is to cure diseases without using drugs. The movements of Qigong are built on a scientific foundation, helping the body relax and balance.

“Qigong exercises help us control our breathing, maintain flexibility and have a healthy life. Through exercises combined with reasonable rest time, the elderly can improve their eating habits, as well as prevent Alzheimer's disease, Paskinson, stroke, and cardiovascular disease”, Mr. Duc said.

Through many forms of organisation, the mass physical education and sports movement in Lien Chieu District is increasingly developing. Every year, about 60 grassroots tournaments are organised across the district for people of all ages, notably badminton, table tennis, football, boat race, and chess. Additionally, the annual district-level Sports Festival contributes to promoting the development of the physical training and sports movement in the state administrative sector, armed forces, and students in the area.

Ms. Mai Thuy Thuy Trang, Head of the Lien Chieu District Office of Culture, Science and Information, said that this was one of the results after 10 years of implementing Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW of the Central Executive Committee of the Party in the 11^th tenure on building and developing Vietnamese culture and people to meet the requirements of sustainable national development.

In recent times, the district has planned 81 community houses and 18 cultural facilities, as well as continued to invest in building cultural - sports centres B2.1, B2.2, B3.1 and the Lien Chieu District Cultural - Sports Center at Phase 4.

According to Ms. Trang, the district always encourages and creates favourable conditions for people to participate in sports, such as renovating and upgrading cultural - sports facilities, and building public playgrounds for organising sports tournaments and exchanges between residential areas. These efforts aim to raise public awareness of health improvement, and create a healthy and cohesive living environment in the community.

Moreover, many activities such as walking and running competitions at grassroots level have been organised in the district and attracted a large number of people to participate.

Reporting by KY NAM - Translating by M.DUNG