Strengthening sources for sports

On the occasion of the 78th anniversary of Vietnam Sports Day, Khanh Hoa Newspaper has conducted an interview with Nguyen Tuan Thanh, Director of Khanh Hoa Provincial Department of Culture and Sports, about the achievements in building and developing the province’s sports. 

Nguyen Tuan Thanh, Director of Khanh Hoa Provincial Department of Culture and Sports

- In recent years, along with socio-economic development, Khanh Hoa Province’s sports have gained encouraging results. What are the achievements in detail?

- In recent years, the province’s physical exercise and sports movement has strongly developed thanks to the investment in facilities and human factor from the authorities. At present, 35.9% of the province’s total population practice exercise and sports regularly; 36.5% of the total number of households are sports families. Khanh Hoa now has 480 grassroots sports clubs with more than 1,000 collaborators; 16 province-level sports federations and associations. The sports clubs, federations and associations have significantly contributed to the building and development of public sports movement. 

In 2023, the sports sector organized 18 province-level sports tournaments, 126 district-level sports tournaments and 896 commune-level sports tournaments; jointly organized and hosted 20 national and international sports tournaments such as Marathon VnExpress Nha Trang 2023 (joined by over 11,500 people), the 9th International Yoga Day (joined by over 1,200 people) The Arena OCEANMAN Cam Ranh Vietnam 2023 (joined by over 700 athletes from over 20 countries) and Vinpearl DIC Legends Vietnam 2023 (attracted 27 foreign athletes and nearly 100 domestic athletes). The tournaments helped to promote the province’s physical exercise and sports movement as well as the images of Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa to tourists in and outside the country; highlight the potential for strong development of sports tourism - a new, suitable and attractive form.

In high-achievement sports, the provincial teams took part in 68 national and international tournaments, attaining 59 gold medals, 77 silver medals and 113 bronze medals. 46 athletes secured master level; 76 athletes reached national level 1. The province’s indoor volleyball team won the national championship; male and female beach volleyball athletes won gold medals in the national championships; Nha Trang Dolphin were the runners-up in VBA. Khanh Hoa had 2 coaches and 23 athletes called up for the national sports teams of beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, taekwondo, athletics, Muay, weightlifting, bodybuilding and karate. Some coaches and athletes of Khanh Hoa were called up for SEA Games 23 and won 4 medals (1 gold medal in athletics, 1 silver medal in Muay Thai, 2 bronze medals in volleyball); won 1 silver medal and 1 bronze medal in SEA V.League 2023.

-    Besides the encouraging results, what difficulties do Khanh Hoa’s sports encounter?

- Financial difficulties have affected the scales of the sports activities and tournaments and the investment in essential public and non-public sports facilities. Some sports facilities at district level such as stadiums and swimming pools have still not been built or invested well. In addition, the lack of sports officials and collaborators and limited funds for sports activities and allowance for people serving in sports activities and tournaments also affected the development of the sports movement in the province.

- What are the solutions for the aforementioned difficulties?

- Based on the Conclusion No. 70 on sports development in the new period issued by the Politburo on January 30, 2024, the Provincial Department of Culture and Sports has proposed the implementation of this conclusion, for example enhancing the responsibility of party committees, organizations, authorities, political systems and the public for the development of sports and physical education; incorporating tasks about physical exercise and sports into resolutions, strategies, planning, programs and plans for socio-economic development of localities and units; promoting application of digital technology in physical exercise and sports; encouraging the public to actively practice physical exercise and sports, etc. Besides, the province will issue the development strategy for sports and physical education until 2030 with a vision to 2045; encourage the development of public sports and create opportunities for everyone to participate in physical exercise and sports to improve health; strengthen resources for sports and physical education; review and complete planning to develop a synchronous network of sports institutions and facilities and meet modern standards; develop sports market; promote public-private cooperation; encourage public investment; organize tournaments; train athletes, coaches, referees; and provide sports services.

- Thank you for your answers!

An Nhien
Translated by H.N