Memories of working at SEA Games 31

From 2021 to present, Nam Dinh has been chosen to successfully host many important national and regional sports tournaments; including the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) in 2022 with men's football in Group B and 1 semi-final match. With the province's investment, careful preparation and the hospitality of the people, the 31st SEA Games held in Nam Dinh left a good impression on the delegations of athletes, coaches, referees, fans and reporters from domestic and international press agencies.

Domestic and international reporters working in the stands of Thien Truong Stadium at the 31st SEA Games held in Nam Dinh. Article and photos: Khanh Dung

Domestic and international reporters work in the stands of Thien Truong Stadium at the 31st SEA Games held in Nam Dinh .

It has been more than a year since the 31st SEA Games ended, but the beautiful memories I have of my first time working at a major regional sporting event will never be forgotten. I still remember 19 years ago, at the 22nd SEA Games in 2003, Nam Dinh hosted 3 sports: volleyball, beach volleyball and women's football. At that time, I only knew about the SEA Games through watching TV and reading newspapers. When I became a reporter, I was lucky to participate in a major sporting event right in my hometown. According to my senior colleagues, at that time, the biggest difficulty for those working in the press was limited working equipment and underdeveloped information and communication technology. Fortunately, by the 31st SEA Games, these problems were basically no longer difficult. After the specific communication plan was approved and implemented by the Editorial Board, all conditions were created for working at the 31st SEA Games. During about half a month of the biggest sports festival in Southeast Asia in Nam Dinh (from May 4 to 19), my colleagues and I coordinated to work from the competition venue Thien Truong Stadium and places for eating, resting, training, exchanging, and shopping of the athletes and coaches such as: Nam Cuong Hotel, Provincial Sports Palace and some tourist destinations in the province. Activities ranged from preparing conditions for facilities and equipment; ensuring security and order, health , environmental sanitation, traffic, electricity, fire prevention and fighting; welcoming sports delegations and domestic and international guests; activities and training of the athletes; press conferences before and after each match; The developments and results of football matches and some other sideline activities such as: the cheering atmosphere of the fans; cultural and artistic activities, introducing and promoting the culinary quintessence, tangible and intangible cultural heritages and Nam Dinh tourism potential... are all promptly and fully reflected in printed and electronic newspapers, Nam Dinh Newspaper television, promptly bringing all information to readers who cannot go to the stadium to witness the exciting matches. Not only promoting in local newspapers, we also coordinate with colleagues in other places to expand communication in industry newspapers and magazines. In the era of information technology explosion, digital transformation is taking place strongly in the field of journalism as it is today, we have actively applied information technology to quickly, promptly and fully promote the SEA Games in our homeland.

The impression on me and my domestic and international colleagues at the 31st SEA Games held in Nam Dinh was the spirit and strong love for sports of the local people with beautiful, emotional images at Thien Truong Stadium with civilized, polite and extremely vibrant cheering styles. The stands were packed with spectators with flags, flowers, banners and the explosive drumbeats of encouragement, giving the players more strength when competing on away ground but being cheered "like at home". According to the records of the 31st SEA Games Organizing Committee, in each match, Thien Truong Stadium had 20,000-30,000 fans coming to the stadium to watch and cheer for the teams, although Group B did not have the participation of the Vietnamese team, setting a "record" in the region for the number of neutral spectators attending the matches. The impression on the athletes, coaches, referees, guests, fans, and reporters in Nam Dinh was not only the success of the organization, reception, and service, but also the joy, enthusiasm, friendliness, and hospitality of the people and volunteers. Many people were satisfied with the professionalism of the accommodation facilities and loved the delicious culinary specialties of Nam Dinh such as: beef noodle soup, xiu pao cake, sìu châu candy, nem nam, etc.

In particular, the civility, professionalism, and enthusiasm of Thanh Nam fans before, during, and after each match not only inspired the teams but also the team of journalists working at the event as well as myself. Many foreign reporters coming to Nam Dinh for the first time also shared that feeling. As young reporters, having the opportunity to work at a major regional sporting event for the first time, the number of news, articles, photos, and reports about the 31st SEA Games were fully implemented by us, ensuring accuracy and timeliness, contributing to the overall success of the congress. Working at the 31st SEA Games, I not only had the opportunity to learn and accumulate professional experience but also met and got to know many friends and colleagues at home and abroad.

By the 31st SEA Games, Nam Dinh has much more developed accommodation facilities. The athletes, coaches, referees, and international guests are accommodated at the 4-star Nam Cuong Hotel; domestic and international reporters are accommodated at the Sojo Hotel (Nam Dinh City), all located in central areas, with beautiful and convenient locations. After days of intense competition, my colleagues and I witnessed many touching farewells, blossoming into beautiful friendships between athletes, reporters, and Nam Dinh volunteers. "The 31st SEA Games made us love our hometown Nam Dinh, love Vietnam" is what many members of the sports delegations shared when they returned to Nam Dinh to attend the 31st SEA Games.

The effective participation of news agencies and newspapers is one of the important factors contributing to the overall success of the 31st SEA Games in 2022 held in Nam Dinh. The 31st SEA Games has passed, leaving many beautiful and meaningful memories in my career in particular and the "messengers" in general at the 31st SEA Games. After completing my mission, I feel more mature, have more valuable experiences in my professional journey and love my career and work more to continue to devote and contribute./.

Article and photos: Khanh Dung

Source link