Senior exercise is not only a morning exercise of the elderly but also a sport which has been practiced and incorporated into the tournaments held across the country.
Senior exercise is not only a morning exercise of the elderly but also a sport which has been practiced and incorporated into the tournaments held across the country.
The 2015 national senior exercise championship, taking place at Khanh Hoa Provincial Sports Competition House, has just ended on September 28. Attending this year’s tournament were more than 350 players of 26 teams divided into two groups, in which group 1 includes teams attending the championship for the first time, group 2 comprises teams won medals at the previous tournaments.
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| Teams performing senior exercise together at the 2015 championship. |
According to Nguyen Tuan Lam, Deputy Chairman of Vietnam Gymnastics Federation, Chairman of Senior Exercise Council, the 2015 tournament showed the good investment of the participating teams as well as the attractiveness of the tournament which shown through the increased number of teams (seven more teams compared to last year). Besides, in order to make a more accurate assessment on the professional quality, the organization board made some changes in the events and form of competition.
Among the teams taking part in this year’s tournament, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang were the strongest ones. This was because beside the strong development of senior exercise, these three localities have been invested quite well by the sports industry.
Reportedly, Khanh Hoa’s team also made a careful preparation for the 2015 tournament. The team’s members practiced for nearly one year as well as exchanged and learned experience from the strong senior exercise teams in the country. In the past ten years, Khanh Hoa always joined the national senior exercise championships. In 2013, the team of Khanh Hoa got the bronze medal, which was their highest achievement at the tournament.
At the end of the championship, Hanoi won the first prize for whole-team; Ho Chi Minh City scooped second prize; Binh Duong got third prize; Khanh Hoa placed fourteenth. Cao Thi Luong (78 years old, Khanh Hoa) was awarded prize for the elderly athlete who had most beautiful exercise movements.
According to Luu Thi Hong, member of the Executive Committee of Vietnam Gymnastics Federation, Chairman of Nha Trang City Senior Exercise Association, Khanh Hoa Province in general and Nha Trang City in particular has had the strongest movement of senior exercise in Vietnam. The province has more than 1,500 people practicing at 23 clubs and associations. These senior exercise clubs and associations have shown a strong development through maintaining activity of morning exercise along Tran Phu Street and Pham Van Dong Street and taking part in the province’s main sports and cultural events like Sea Festival. However, Khanh Hoa’s senior exercise has been facing financial difficulty. If receiving good investment from the sponsors and provincial sports industry, Khanh Hoa’s senior exercise team will promise to be competitive for medals at the national championships.
An Nhien
Translated by H.N
