During a meeting with members and the Training and Competition Center of Binh Thuan province, Ms. Mai Thi Ngoc Anh – Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee and Head of the Organizing Committee of the Ta Cu Mountain Climbing Competition, said: “Currently, the preparations, from surveying the race route to the subcommittees on health , logistics, security, and transportation to ensure the smooth running of the competition, have been basically completed. However, from now until the competition day, we will continue to refine everything to fully meet the technical requirements and arrangements for participating provinces.”
The Ta Cu Mountain Climbing Race, organized by Ham Thuan Nam District, has been elevated to a cultural and sporting event, meeting the recreational needs of the local people and tourists during the New Year. After 25 editions, this year the Ham Thuan Nam District People's Committee has made a special investment in human resources to ensure continuous service throughout the season. This event also commemorates the 94th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 - February 3, 2024) and celebrates the Party and the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Dragon 2024.
The 26th Ham Thuan Nam District - Binh Thuan Province Ta Cu Mountain Climbing Competition in 2024 is open to all Vietnamese citizens who are in good health, have not violated any laws, and are not currently under disciplinary action by national sports federations, associations, or governing bodies. As in previous years, the competition will be organized into a grassroots category for communes, towns, agencies, departments, stations, camps, enterprises, schools, armed forces, and businesses in Ham Thuan Nam district. This year, all communes and towns participated fully, thanks to better training funding, unlike last year.
The most dramatic and exciting part remains the selection and open categories. The selection category, for districts, towns, cities, and provincial departments, agencies, organizations, armed forces, universities, colleges, vocational schools, and businesses located within the province, has 12 participating teams, compared to 9 teams last year. The open category is for provinces and cities nationwide. To date, Ham Thuan Nam has received registrations from 11 teams, an increase of 3 teams compared to last year, from provinces and cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Ba Ria - Vung Tau , Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, Lam Dong, etc. A notable addition this year is the team from Dau Tieng district, Binh Duong province. Their purpose, like the other teams, is to celebrate the Lunar New Year and enjoy tourism, but their main goal is to learn from Ham Thuan Nam district's organizational experience in order to organize a similar mountain climbing competition in their locality.
In total, this year's competition has more participants than last year, with 357 athletes. The race distance for men is 6,300m, consisting of a 4,000m run and a 2,300m climb (6,300m total). For women, it's a 3,000m run and a 2,300m climb (5,300m total). This is a challenging route with a mountain height of nearly 700m and a slope of 400-650m. Because of this, the Ta Cu mountain climbing race is a significant challenge, especially for young athletes.
According to the Provincial Training and Competition Center, at least 400 athletes (112 from outside the province), representing 23 teams from within the province and neighboring provinces, have registered for the 3 events.
Ms. Mai Thi Ngoc Anh – Vice Chairman of the Ham Thuan Nam District People's Committee and Head of the Organizing Committee, said: “The competition is not only organized to develop the movement of physical training and sports, actively responding to the campaign "All people practice physical training following the example of the great President Ho Chi Minh," but it is also a useful and interesting playground during the Lunar New Year, an opportunity for teams and athletes to exchange, learn, hone their skills, and compete in the sport of mountain climbing.”
Furthermore, as a cultural tradition, every year on the 7th day of the Lunar New Year, the people of Ham Thuan Nam enthusiastically welcome athletes and tourists from all over to conquer the peak of Ta Cu Mountain and visit the temple to pray for a prosperous year and good health.
The Ta Cu Mountain Climbing Competition has been held since 1996, spanning 27 years with 25 editions, interrupted for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 26th edition – Spring 2024 (Year of the Dragon) – promises to be an exciting and dramatic sporting event.
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