Reviving the badminton movement among students.

The prolonged rallies and the joyful cheers of the spectators after each winning point created a vibrant atmosphere at Quang Sport Badminton Court (Cach Mang Thang 8 Street) throughout the 6 days of the 2026 Can Tho City High School Badminton Tournament. The tournament breathed new life into the school badminton movement in Can Tho City after its merger.

The two sisters, Binh An and An Binh, with their gold medal at the competition.

With 1,054 participants, this is the largest badminton tournament in Can Tho in many years. Many matches were intense, with fierce point chases, forcing athletes to demonstrate both technical skill and mental fortitude.

Mr. Le Minh Trung, Head of the Badminton Refereeing Team, commented that this was the first time in many years that Can Tho City had organized such a large-scale tournament for students. A highlight of this year's tournament was the fairly even level of expertise among the participating localities.

Mr. Trung assessed: "All units have outstanding athletes. Overall, the units from the former Soc Trang province are more evenly matched in the older age groups, while the units from the former Can Tho city have an advantage in the primary school level and the U12-13 group."

This very competition is what makes the tournament so appealing. Many localities, such as Co Do commune, Nga Nam ward, Vinh Vien commune, etc., brought quality teams and left a strong impression. Among them, the Nga Nam ward badminton team was a highlight, winning 2 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal.

Mr. Tra Dac Luc, Deputy Principal of My Binh Secondary School and coach of the Nga Nam ward team, said that the team has 12 athletes who trained continuously for two weeks before the tournament. It's encouraging that the badminton movement in the locality has developed quite rapidly in recent years, attracting many students to participate. Mr. Luc said: “The school doesn't have its own club, so we have to train at the commune center. Despite the limited facilities, the students are very diligent in their training.”

One of the greatest joys for the Nga Nam team was the gold medal in the women's doubles won by twin sisters Nguyen Thi Binh An and Nguyen Thi An Binh. After five years dedicated to badminton, the two sisters stepped onto the top podium for the first time in a major tournament. Binh An, a 7th-grade student, was still emotional after the final match: "I didn't think I would win first place, so I'm very happy to have achieved this."

Meanwhile, the badminton team from Vinh Vien commune delivered many surprises, winning 1 gold medal, 1 silver medal, and 1 bronze medal. According to Mr. Huynh Chau Luan, the coach of the Vinh Vien commune team, the athletes were all selected from junior high schools in the commune and have maintained their training since the district-level competition last year.

"The local movement has only recently developed, with most children playing spontaneously in groups. Thanks to a major tournament like this, they have the opportunity to interact, compete, and learn more," Mr. Luan shared.

Many teachers and coaches in remote areas also maintain the badminton movement with all their heart. Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy, a teacher at Ke Sach Secondary School, said that her main profession is teaching Math, but because her house has a badminton court, she is assigned to support the athletes. Participating in tournaments is quite difficult for the team, as they have to travel back and forth every day. However, for Ms. Thuy, the most valuable thing is that the students gain experience and grow after each match.

Ms. Thuy said: "The teams here are very strong, so the children can learn a lot. Some of them were even nervous, not performing as well on the field as they did in training, but they will be more confident after this tournament."

From the exciting badminton matches held over several days, it's clear that this sport is gradually forming a broader and more balanced foundation in schools in Can Tho. Not only central schools, but also many remote areas are beginning to show interest in investing in and creating opportunities for students to access badminton. More importantly, the tournament truly serves as a place for students to develop their character, competitive spirit, and self-confidence.

Text and photos: NGUYEN MINH

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/danh-thuc-phong-trao-cau-long-trong-hoc-sinh-a205697.html