Outstanding development steps of Khanh Hoa's sports

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Vietnam Sports Day (March 27, 1946 - March 27, 2021), Khanh Hoa Newspaper interviewed Nguyen Tuan Thanh, deputy director of Khanh Hoa Provincial Department of Culture and Sports, about sports activities of the province over the past years.

 

- What were the outstanding achievements of the province’s sports sector over the past years? 

 

- Over the past years, the province’s sports movement, including public sports, school sports and high-achievement sports, has always made progress. Until now, 35.5% of Khanh Hoa’s population often do physical exercise or play sports; 36.2% of the total households were recognized as sports families. The province has maintained 30 provincial level sports tournaments; hosted more than 10 national level sports tournaments; established 15 provincial level sports federations, associations, and clubs and 600 clubs and public places for people to practice physical exercise and sports.

 

The province has also invested in high-achievement sports, such as volleyball (indoor and beach), martial arts (taekwondo, karate, traditional martial arts), sports dance, table tennis, track and field, football, and gymnastics. Currently, 566 athletes of 22 provincial sports teams are trained at the provincial Sports Technique and Training Center. Every year, Khanh Hoa’s sports teams participate in more than 80 regional, national and international sports tournaments, achieving more than 350 sets of medals. 

 

Nearly 50 Khanh Hoa’s athletes reached master level; more than 80 athletes were given national level-1 title. Coaches and athletes of Khanh Hoa are often called up to the national teams. Specifically, in 2019, the province's high-achievement sports contributed three coaches, 14 athletes to the national volleyball, beach volleyball, table tennis, and track and field teams in the 30th SEA Games held in the Philippines. That year, athlete Tran Nhat Hoang of Khanh Hoa won three SEA Games gold medals for the national track and field team. Khanh Hoa’s male volleyball and beach volleyball teams have won many national championships in a row.

 

 

 

- What difficulties are facing the province’s sports sector? Does the sector have any key solutions for the coming time?

 

- The sports facilities in many districts, towns, cities, remote areas and ethnic minority areas have been degraded. Most of the localities over the province do not have enough funds to invest in basic sports facilities such as swimming pools, stadiums, and sports arena. The budget allocation for sports to most of the localities is not sufficient, not meeting the needs of building, developing movements and holding sports competitions. Especially, the funds for sports activities for people with disabilities, the elderly, and school are still low.

 

There is a pressing need to establish and invest in high-performance sports teams; however, the funds for recruitment and training are not enough. Additionally, the funds for nutrition and medical services for athletes are also insufficient. 

 

In order to solve these difficulties and issues, the provincial Department of Culture and Sports has proposed the provincial People's Committee issue long-term plans for sports such as: high-achievement sports plan for the 2021 - 2025 period with a vision to 2030; plan to develop the province’s public sports until 2025; raising funds for sports activities and facilities to develop public sports; improving the quality of school sports; specifying the province’s key sports; reforming the recruitment and training system; and improving the nutrition regimes and preferential policies for coaches and athletes.

 

- What activities will the province’s sports sector organize to respond to this year's Vietnam Sports Day?

 

- To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Vietnam Sports Day, the provincial Department of Culture and Sports put forward a plan to organize a province-level launching ceremony of the campaign “All people do exercises following Uncle Ho’s example”, 2021-2030 period, and Olympic Run Day for Public Health 2021 in Ninh Hoa Town on April 1 with over 1,000 participants. Besides, right from the beginning of the year, the department made and issued a plan for sports activities such as: sports festival of culture and sports sectors taking place at the provincial sports arena from March 24 to 26; opening of V.League 2 at 19-8 Nha Trang Stadium on March 27; cross-country running in Ninh Hoa Town on April 1; national basketball championship at the provincial sports arena from April 1 to 17. 

 

- Thank you for your answers! 

 

An Nhien (Interviewer)

Translated by H.N