The journey to stardom of the village "warriors".

The journey of young athletes from the Lao Cai Provincial Center for Culture, Arts, and Sports from the "village playground" to the "big ocean" is a long story of perseverance, passion, and national pride.

Stick pushing is a familiar folk game, a cultural beauty closely associated with the spiritual life and festivals of the ethnic minorities in the highlands. Now, this traditional beauty is being elevated by the sons and daughters of the villages into prestigious medals at professional sports arenas. The journey of young athletes from the Lao Cai Provincial Center for Culture, Arts, and Sports from the "village festival" to the "big ocean" is a long story of perseverance, passion, and national pride.

Driven by his love for this traditional sport, athlete Ha Dinh Duy, of the Tay ethnic group from Thuong Bang La commune, has continuously trained and excelled, overcoming many strong opponents to reach the top of the podium and receive the Gold medal at the National Youth Stick Pushing Championship.

Athlete Ha Dinh Duy (on the right) during a training session.

Not stopping there, at the recent National Club Cup, this young man of the Tay ethnic group continued to bring home a valuable silver medal for his province's sports delegation.

These consecutive medals are a well-deserved reward for the extraordinary willpower and determination of a "warrior" from the highlands on his journey to conquer the pinnacle of sports.

Sharing about his connection and motivation to this sport, athlete Ha Dinh Duy confided: “I have been training and competing in stick pushing for 4 years. Stick pushing gives me good health. Through competitions, I learn from experience and make many new friends who share the same passion. Currently, I am focusing on training to prepare for the upcoming tournament in Quang Ngai . I will compete with all my might to win high achievements for my province.”

Each competition is an opportunity for Dinh Duy (center) to learn more and gain experience.

Sharing the same hometown and passion for victory as Dinh Duy is young athlete Ha Dang Duong. Through relentless effort in every training session, Dang Duong has achieved a memorable milestone in his professional sports career. For those born and raised in the highland villages of Lao Cai , stick pushing is not just a competitive sport but has become an integral part of their lives.

“My greatest achievement is the gold medal at the Club Cup. For me, it's not just a reward for my efforts, but also a source of pride for bringing glory to my village and hometown,” Dang Duong shared.

For Dang Duong, each match is an opportunity to affirm the character of a son of the mountains and forests - resilient, tenacious, and never giving up.

Athlete Ha Dang Duong (right) is diligently training to prepare for upcoming tournaments.

Not only suitable for men who have advantages in muscle strength, health, and flexibility, stick pushing is also the sport that Hoang Bich Ngoc, a Tay ethnic girl from Thuong Bang La commune, has chosen to dedicate herself to and participate in.

Despite having to leave her family at a young age to enter a professional training environment, facing numerous difficulties, challenges, and pressures from a rigorous training regimen, the petite girl from the highland village never once faltered.

"In the early days at the training center, I missed home terribly. The training schedule was intense, my muscles ached, and at times I felt like I couldn't bear it anymore. But every time I thought about giving up, I thought about my parents' expectations and my burning desire to stand on the podium. Stick fighting has forged in me a steely spirit; the more difficult things get, the stronger I have to be to overcome them," Bích Ngọc confided.

Athlete Hoang Bich Ngoc strives every day for her passion.

That perseverance not only brought Bich Ngoc prestigious medals, but also strongly affirmed that girls from the highlands can absolutely conquer and shine in sports that require high physical strength and willpower, such as stick pushing. Ngoc's resilience has become and continues to be an inspiration for many young people to boldly pursue a professional sports career.

Born in their villages and carrying within them a sense of national pride, these young athletes quickly grasp techniques when entering a professional training environment, compete wholeheartedly, and bring home prestigious medals for their homeland.

Coach Dao Anh Duc from the Lao Cai Provincial Center for Culture, Arts, and Sports stated: “With two key objectives at the youth tournament and the National Sports Games, we are currently focusing our utmost efforts on intensive physical training programs and competition tactics. The entire team will compete with the highest determination to bring medals back to our province.”

The stick-pushing team has brought home many medals for the province's sports.

For these "warriors" from the villages, national pride and a desire to contribute are always the solid foundations that allow them to compete not only for personal achievement but also for cultural identity and the colors of their homeland. These young athletes are still working tirelessly day and night, sweating it out in training, ready for their journey to the wider world, continuing to shine and affirm the position and strength of highland sports on the national sports map.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/hanh-trinh-toa-sang-cua-nhung-chien-binh-ban-lang-post900934.html