(HBO) - Ethnic sports are an indispensable part of developing physical training and sports. Crossbow shooting, tug of war, stick pushing ... are not only folk games, but they also are the sports competed every year. Thereby, it has been attracting a large number of people to participate in training and competing, contributing to improving health, enriching the spiritual life, and having a practical significance in preserving and promoting the cultural beauty of the People of all ethnic groups in the province.


The members of Xuan Phong Crossbow Shooting Club in Hop Phong commune (Cao Phong) practice regularly, creating a useful sports playground for the individuals who share the same passion for the ethnic sports.

At the early spring festivals such as the Khai Ha festival of Muong Bi (Tan Lac), Gau Tao festival of Mong ethnic people (Mai Chau), Du Voi festival (Lac Son) ... are the occasion to revive some traditional sports, creating the unique features in the traditional culture. The prominent festival such as Khai Ha festival in Muong Bi (also known as the ceremony to go down to the fields, or the ceremony to open the forest’s door), is a folk festival associated with the wet rice agriculture, and it has become an indispensable cultural and religious activity of Muong Bi people in each new spring. Within the framework of the festival, besides the activities such as the palanquin procession, the special art program, the ritual of plowing fields in early spring, the performance of Muong ethnic costumes, etc., the competition of the ethnic sports attracts the enthusiastic attention of a large number of people. Many communes and wards in the province also organize the sports tournaments at the beginning of the new year, in which some sports competitions are integrated. This is a useful playground, a place to learn and exchange experiences, and it helps tighten the solidarity among the people.

From the sports competitions in the communes and the districts, the promising athletes have been selected, and they have become the core force participating in the provincial, regional and national tournaments. The typical ones are Luong Van Qua, Luong Thi Kieu (Da Bac), Bui Thi Hong (Yen Thuy)… They have consecutively won the gold medal in the stick pushing at the provincial championship of crossbow shooting - tug of war – stick pushing in the years 0ff 2016 – 2019. They have received a certificate of merit from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee for the excellent achievements in winning gold and bronze medals at national sports tournaments in the last 6 months of 2019. Mr. Luong Van Qua from Tan Minh commune (Da Bac) is one of the typical faces of stick pushing. "In order to achieve the impressive results, I regularly practice and actively participate in many sports tournaments of the commune, the district and the province. Through each competition, I have the opportunity to exchange, rub, learn and improve my skills, tactics, psychology, promoting the strengths and overcoming the limitations” - Mr. Qua said.

Every year, the province organizes a competition of 3 sports including crossbow shooting - tug of war – stick pushing to encourage the practice movement in the localities. The tournament always attracts hundreds of the athletes from 10 districts and the city and 2 branches, the Public Security and the Ministry Headquarters of the province. In recent years, Tan Lac district has been the leading locality in the province in terms of training and competing. In 2020, Tan Lac won the first prize for the whole team at the provincial championship of crossbow shooting - tug of war – stick pushing with 7 gold medals, 2 silver medals, 8 bronze medals. Previously, at the Provincial crossbow shooting - tug of war - stick pushing championship in 2019 and the sixth Provincial Congress of Physical Training and Sports in 2018, Tan Lac district also won the first prize for the whole team. Mr. Dinh Son Tung, the Head of District’s Culture and Sports Department said: "Up to now, 2 communes, Phong Phu and Tu Ne have organized the sports congresses at the grassroot level, in which some sports are competed. They are stick pushing, tug of war, crossbow shooting. According to the plan, in the competition program of the District’s Sports Congress in 2021, there are also some ethnic sports.”

Thanks to the work of conservation, preservation and promotion, the sports industry concerned and implemented the tournament system from the province to the grassroot level, which maintains the annual organization; the people enthusiastically participate in training and competing; Sports clubs are active... However, over the past time, our province's sports have won the remarkable achievements at the regional and national sports tournaments. Notably, they won the first prize for the whole team at the nineth National Ethnic Minority Sports Competition for Region I in 2015; the Festival of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Ethnic Minorities in the Northwest in 2016; The tenth National Ethnic Minority Sports Competition for Region I in 2017; The eleventh National Ethnic Minority Sports Competition for Region I in 2019.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thuy, an expert of the Sports Management Division (the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism) said: "Through the organization of the annual organization of the crossbow shooting - tug of war - stick pushing championship, a force of the potential athletes has been selected to be trained and compete in the regional and national sports tournaments. These are athletes who have made important contributions to reaping the prestigious medals for the the provincial sports delegation.”

With the outstanding results, the medals from the sports through the provincial, regional and national tournaments have shown that the conservation and development of the ethnic sports have received the province's attention and investment in the right direction.


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