Keep the drum beat in traditional sports tournaments

Mr. Tran Ngoc Anh was born and raised in Van Ha commune, Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province (now Van Ha ward, Bac Ninh province), one of the cradles of traditional Vietnamese wrestling. Before becoming a familiar drummer in each wrestling season, Mr. Tran Ngoc Anh had many years of experience as a referee at local traditional wrestling tournaments, including Thai Nguyen.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Anh has 20 years of experience playing drums in many domestic sports tournaments.

Standing by the wrestling ring, observing each match, listening to the wrestlers' breathing and maintaining fairness in each match has helped him to deeply understand the martial spirit of his homeland. It is his understanding and love for traditional wrestling that has brought him to the sound of the festival drum, the sound that he considers the soul of each competition, and over the past two decades, his drum sound has become a mark in Kinh Bac festivals as well as national sports tournaments across the country. Many major tournaments hosted or organized by Thai Nguyen have invited him to participate.

For Mr. Tran Ngoc Anh, the drum is not only a signal sound, but also the heart of the competition, the soul of the national sports spirit. Each drum beat he plays has its own rhythm, emotion and story: the bustling opening drum, the urgent drum urging the troops, the enthusiastic cheering drum and the joyful ending drum.

20 years holding drumsticks are 20 years he has traveled to all tournaments big and small, from familiar village festivals to national cultural and sports festivals. Wherever he is, his drumming always carries the breath of Kinh Bac: solemn but supple, strong but warm. In the hot sun or drizzle, he still works hard with the worn buffalo skin drum, only hoping that each beat of his drum will add strength to the athletes, bringing pride to his homeland.

At the age of 60, when many people have retired, he is still passionate about his job. He said: As long as I can still hear the sound of festival drums and people compete in traditional sports, I will still beat the drums, because it is my joy and my blood.

For him, keeping the drum is also keeping the national soul, a way to ensure that Kinh Bac sports culture is not forgotten in the modern flow. In some recent tug-of-war and stick-pushing competitions held in Thai Nguyen, coaches and athletes met him again like long-lost relatives.

Athlete Y Kiet Nie, Dak Lak tug-of-war team shared right after winning the Gold Medal at the 3rd National Tug-of-war Championship Cup, 2025 (taking place from November 6 to 13, 2025) in Thai Nguyen: When competing, hearing the drum beat, my heart seemed to beat in a different rhythm.

The drum beat not only signals the start or end, but also adds strength, confidence and team spirit. Each drum beat fills my whole body with energy, my feet and hands tap together with the drum beat, as if the whole team is breathing together. It is a feeling of nervousness and excitement that cannot be found in any other sport.

Just like in tug of war, Mr. Ngoc Anh's drumming during the stick pushing matches also makes the athletes full of energy and focused on the competition.

Athlete Duong Phuong Hao, Thai Nguyen pole pushing team shared: When standing on the field, hearing the sound of the drum, I feel my whole body filled with strength. The sound of the drum urges everyone to break out and concentrate to the maximum. In each pole pushing phase, the drum beat helps me maintain my spirit, at the same time feel the connection with my teammates and the surrounding audience. That is a special source of motivation, making each match not only a physical challenge but also a spiritual experience.

Although not an athlete, Mr. Tran Ngoc Anh is the one who keeps the rhythm of national sports pride, so that each beat of Kinh Bac drum still echoes, resonates far, full of spirit and imbued with homeland love.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/tin-moi/202511/giu-deu-nhip-trong-trong-cac-giai-the-thao-truyen-thong-5b87ed1/