The 19 ethnic groups in Dien Bien province possess a diverse and rich traditional culture. Despite facing hardships, the ethnic minority communities still preserve and develop many distinctive traditional sports. Every year, at festivals and holidays, from the province to the districts, towns, and cities, competitions and reenactments of traditional ethnic sports are held with great enthusiasm, such as tug-of-war, crossbow shooting, stick pushing, pao throwing, tu lu, tung con, to ma le, and pounding rice cakes… These are both traditional sports and folk games closely linked to the daily lives of the people. Many of these games have been developed into sports included in competitions at various levels; thus contributing to the preservation and development of the cultural beauty of the ethnic groups and encouraging the practice and competition of sports among the people.
Mr. Lo Van Hoa, from Thanh Yen commune ( Dien Bien district) - one of the province's outstanding athletes - has won more than 100 medals of various kinds in crossbow shooting, from district-level to national competitions. Mr. Hoa said: "To achieve high results, I regularly practice and actively participate in sports competitions organized at the commune and district levels. These competitions at the grassroots level help me gain experience, hone my skills, improve my concentration, and overcome my limitations to achieve the best results in regional and national competitions."
“Back when I was in school, I used to play stick pushing with my friends. It looks simple, but to play well requires physical strength and technique… Especially, this sport helped me train both physically and mentally. I also won many awards in stick pushing organized by the district and province. Now, seeing many young people playing this sport, I feel very happy, contributing to preserving and developing traditional ethnic sports,” shared Ms. Pòng Thị Oai from Bản Mới village, Chà Cang commune (Nậm Pồ district).
Implementing Project 6 “Preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development” under the National Target Program for socio -economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas… With its tourism development potential, Na Su village, Cha Nua commune (Nam Po district) has been selected to conduct surveys, preserve, and restore traditional ethnic sports and folk games of the Thai ethnic group (White Thai branch). Mr. Thung Van Quan, Head of Na Su village, said: Through the restoration, traditional sports and folk games with rich Thai ethnic identity (Tung Con, To Sang, To Ma Le, To Phai…) that were gradually fading away in modern life have been “revived”. This helps people raise their awareness and responsibility in preserving the beautiful cultural features passed down from their ancestors; "Educating people about teamwork, discipline, the will to strive for victory, physical training, flexibility, agility, and endurance."
To preserve, conserve, and promote the value of folk games, Dien Bien province has organized many rich and unique programs and festivals such as: the provincial and district-level cultural, sports, and tourism festival; the Hoa Ban Festival; the Swallowtail Boat Racing Festival in Muong Lay town; cultural and sports festivals for each ethnic group… Along with focusing on organizing the solemn ceremonial part, the province has directed the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to include ethnic sports in the festival activities.
For example, at the Hoa Ban Festival, visitors not only get to immerse themselves in the unique cultural atmosphere of Dien Bien province, but also get to participate in traditional folk games. Through the enthusiastic interaction and guidance of the locals, visitors gain a deeper understanding of the long-standing traditional culture of the ethnic groups in Dien Bien province.
In practice, the sports and physical education movement in ethnic minority areas has developed significantly in recent years, focusing on improving quality and depth. Most localities have built up a force of talented and enthusiastic athletes in ethnic sports, ready to participate in sports competitions both within and outside the province. Mr. Dao Hong Ha, Deputy Head of the Sports and Physical Education Management Department (Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism), stated: “Maintaining and developing ethnic sports in the province is receiving special attention from all levels and sectors. Through sports competitions at the district and provincial levels, many outstanding athletes have been selected and trained to achieve high results in regional and national competitions.” In 2023, Dien Bien province formed four teams of athletes to participate in mass sports competitions at the regional and national levels, winning 26 medals (6 gold, 7 silver, and 13 bronze).
With the goal of developing both the quantity and quality of ethnic sports, in the coming time, Dien Bien province will continue to encourage and motivate all levels of the population to maintain the practice of ethnic sports. It will organize traditional sports competitions to preserve traditional sports and folk games of ethnic minorities. It will actively teach these sports to the younger generation to discover and select promising talents; and maintain and expand ethnic sports clubs in localities. In particular, attention will be paid to investing in the construction of facilities and planning for sports and physical education institutions; localities will flexibly and socially mobilize the people to voluntarily donate land and contribute to building fields for training, exchange, and competition in various sports... This will enrich cultural and spiritual life while preserving and promoting the beautiful cultural identity of ethnic groups. This also serves as a driving force for the development of sports and physical training movements in the community, contributing to the effective implementation of the campaign "All people practice physical training following the example of the great President Ho Chi Minh".
Source: https://baodienbienphu.com.vn/tin-uc/van-hoa/217319/dien-bien-bao-ton-phat-trien-cac-mon-the-thao-dan-toc
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