Over 800 students and lecturers from the Da Nang University of Sports and Physical Training are serving as volunteers at the ongoing 5^th Asian Beach Games (ABG5), and 120 of them are competition referees.

Beach volleyball action (Photo: Internet)

Mai Thi Nhung from the University’s Sports Training Faculty has, to date, served as a referee secretary at 11 beach volleyball matches.  She is responsible for checking the names of the players, detecting errors in their performances, and keeping the data and scores during the competitions.    

In order to be chosen as a referee secretary, the third year student had previously met her University’s selection criteria based on her practical experience and academic results. 

After being selected, Nhung had to take a 3-day theoretical knowledge training course and a 3-day practice one.  Finally, she served as a referee at 5 matches at the 2016 National Beach Volleyball Pre-ABG5 which took place at the city’s My Khe beach earlier this month.

Nhung said, “Serving as a referee secretary at ABG5 gives me a good chance to practise more and understand more about how to successfully organise a professional international sports competition”.

Another volunteer student is Nguyen Thi Hieu.  She remarked that she would do her utmost to fulfil her assigned tasks despite having faced some difficulties whilst on duty.

Another volunteer is 31-year-old Phan Thanh Nam, a young lecturer in the University’s Athletics Faculty.  Nam has served as a referee at many international competitions including the 2005 Sea Games in the Philippines, the Asian Indoor Games 2010 in Ha Noi, and some annual National Athletics Championships in Viet Nam.  Nam said that he was very impressed with the professionalism and passion of the athletes participating in ABG5.

Mr Nguyen Chi Hung, the University’s Secretary, said that before ABG5 his University had cooperated with the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to organise referee training courses for the University’s lecturers and students.  He, therefore, noted that the ABG5’s organisers can put their full trust in the well-trained volunteers.