For the people in Doc Lap commune (Hoa Binh city), crossbow shooting is a folk game, and over the time it has become an indispensable national sport in the major local holidays and festivals. In May 2020, the crossbow shooting club of Doc Lap commune was established, satisfying the passion of the crossbow lovers. This is a playground for the members to exchange and share experiences, contributing to promoting the spirit of community cohesion and enriching the cultural life of the people in the area at the same time.


Mr. Nguyen Van Bai, a member of the crossbow shooting club in Doc Lap commune (Hoa Binh city) is practicing to prepare for the competitions in early Spring. 

Even though it is busy around the Lunar New Year, Mr. Nguyen Van Bai in Noi hamlet still makes time to practice. Preparing for the crossbow shooting tournament during the Spring Festival, Mr. Bai has been actively practicing with the hope of achieving great results. Visiting the small house, in front of the living room the medals has been solemnly hung, his achievements after the competitions, Mr. Bai says: "Being passionate about crossbow shooting since I was small, I have been attached to this sport since I was a teenager. With the characteristics of being easy to play and not investing too much in equipment, crossbow shooting only requires a short amount of time. If you have time and passion, you can practice and compete. That's why in Doc Lap commune, crossbow shooting is a sport attracting a large number of people to practice every day. 

According to the local people, crossbow has been an indispensable item in the life of our ancestors. Crossbows are used when hunting in the forest and doing the daily production work. In the current life, using crossbows for hunting is no longer suitable for the real conditions. However, the people still keep and preserve it, and it has become a traditional sport during the festivals. According to veteran crossbow shooters, the crossbow body is made from Sen wood. The crossbow arm is considered the most important part and is made from dendrocalamus barbatus growing on top of high hills to have enough strength and resilience. The arrows are selected from the straight Lanh Hanh trees. When sharpening, you must follow the grain, instead of sharpening it round, you must sharpen it along the spine. As when shooting, you have to aim along the spine for the higher accuracy. 

Most of the crossbow shooting enthusiasts in the commune has joined the crossbow shooting club. After nearly 4 years of establishment, there are over 30 members in the club. With the voluntary participation, the members have contributed funds to operate. Every month, the club organizes an exchange session to gather and create a playground for the members. During the year, they maintain the organization of 4-5 exchanges with other crossbow shooting clubs in the province and the surrounding areas. At this playground, the club members can compete and exchange experiences to improve their skills. 

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thi, the Chairman of the Crossbow Shooting Club in Doc Lap Commune, says: "The club was established not simply as a sports playground but it is also as a place to conserve and preserve the core values of the national sports. Crossbow shooting requires players to have a calm mind, bright eyes and steady hands to aim the bow accurately at the target. This is a subject requiring the strength, accuracy and high technique. Especially in the competition, the postions of standing and kneeling shooting require the athletes to master skills to achieve the highest results.” 

In order to preserve and promote crossbow shooting so that it becomes a strong national sport of the locality, the Party Committee and communal authorities have been propagating and mobilizing the people to actively practice and participate in the traditional sports tournaments of the locality. They have arranged funds to organize competitions and create a useful playground to attract the people’s participation. Before the tournaments organized by the city and province, the commune directs the cultural officials to organize practice and exchange competitions to train the competitive psychology and improve the skills. 

Mr. Nguyen Van Phong, the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Doc Lap Commune, says: "In the coming time, the Party Committee and communal authorities will strengthen propaganda and mobilize the people in the area to participate in training to preserve, conserve and develop the sport of crossbow shooting. It is necessary to mobilize the socialization resources to organize tournaments to create the playgrounds for exchanges and competitions. Recruiting and training potential athletes to create successor resources. Thereby, it helps invest in making crossbow shooting a strong sport, contributing typical faces to participate in tournaments organized by the province and region.


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