Hoa Binh FC players (on the left) are competing in the National First Division Football Tournament in 2023.
2022 is a brilliant year for Hoa Binh sports. For a long time, the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) has been known as a fierce competition arena for the best athletes from the countries in the region. At the 31st SEA Games, Hoa Binh province had 1 coach and 3 athletes participating in the Vietnamese moutain cycling team and two riders, Dinh Van Linh and Bui Van Nhat, won the silver medals. At the 15th Southeast Asian Taekwondo Championship, our province's athletes also won 1 silver medal and 2 bronze medals.
Another outstanding mark is that Hoa Binh province's sports delegation won 4 gold medals, 4 silver medals, 2 bronze medals at the 9th National Sports Festival, ranked 42 out of the 65 provinces, cities and sectors in the competition. nationwide, and 5 out of the 19 provinces in mountainous areas, exceeding the set target. Recalling the 8th National Sports Festival in 2018, our province only won 3 gold medals and 1 bronze medal. In 4 years, Hoa Binh sports’ achievements have improved, although it is not much, but it is a good sign for a locality facing many difficulties.
To achieve those achievements, in addition to the efforts of the sports workers in the province, there is also the perseverance, tenacity and determination of the athletes. Currently, the Provincial Gifted School for Sports Training and Competition is the only unit in the province providing specialized training in high-performance sports. Over the past time, the school has continuously innovated and improved the quality of training, and they have been gradually perfecting the system of facilities and equipment, focusing on selecting and training the young talents, and building a group of promising athletes, actively contributing to the development of high-performance sports. In the first 6 months of 2023, the high-achieving athletes in our province won 13 gold medals, 16 silver medals, and 19 bronze medals.
In 2021, Hoa Binh Football Club (Hoa Binh FC) was established with the slogan "Pride of the Northwest”, putting Northwest football on the map of the professional football in Vietnam. Only after After a period of establishment and development, the team has successfully won a promotion ticket to the National First Division Football Tournament in 2023. After 18 rounds of the season, Hoa Binh FC ranked 4th on the rankings.
Along with high-performance sports, the campaign "All people exercise following the example of the great Uncle Ho” has come to life. The mass sports movement continues to grow strongly in both breadth and depth with the stable quality and routine, the number of people practicing sports has gradually increased over the years. The spirit of practicing sports and improving health has spread widely to every residential area, agency, unit, and school, in all ages from young people to the elderly. Thereby, it not only helps improve health but it also enriches the cultural and spiritual life, forming a healthy lifestyle, repelling bad habits and social disasters, contributing to the successful implementation of the task of the socio-economic development, maintaining the local security and defense. Notably, the province's largest sports event - the 7th Sports Congress of Hoa Binh province at all levels was a great success with many remarkable results.
The organization of the Congress from the grassroots to the provincial level has ensured safety, being consistent with the actual conditions of each locality, correctly identifying achievements, good professional quality, and the level of the athletes is constantly improved. Not only that, the facilities and equipment for training and competition have been enhanced, many buildings and gymnasiums have been renovated and newly built. In the first 6 months of this year, 315 sports tournaments from provincial to grassroots levels were organized, attracting over 55,000 participants. A healthy and useful sports playground has been created for the people to interact, learn and rub.
Mr. Dao Tien Cuong, the Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism says: "With the attention and leadership of the Provincial Party Committee, the People's Council and People's Committee along with effective coordination between the departments, branches and unions and the local government, Hoa Binh Sports promises to try for new goals, achieve more proud achievements, and glorify the homeland.”