A place that preserves sporting memories.

For the past 30 years since its establishment, Ward 5, Gio Linh town, Gio Linh district, has consistently been recognized as a unit with a strong and thriving sports movement. Local residents are passionate about sports and possess a spirit of unity and cooperation in building the movement. Even more special is the fact that this area also houses a collection of artifacts, images, and memories of the traditions and sporting achievements of generations of athletes, teams, and local children over several decades...

Former player Nguyen Nhat Tan cherishes and preserves every memento associated with his passion and youth - Photo: DC

Maintain impressive performance

According to Mr. Le Nhat Minh, Party Secretary and Head of Neighborhood 5, the neighborhood currently has 254 households with 1,020 residents. The vast majority of people, especially young people and the elderly, are passionate about sports. This has served as a springboard for the sustainable development of the local sports movement, with strengths in football, tug-of-war, stick pushing, and other sports.

Currently, the area has 4 volleyball courts, 1 multi-sports training area, 2 men's and veteran football teams; 2 men's and women's volleyball teams; and 1 sports dance club. At sports competitions organized by Gio Linh town, Ward 5 is consistently recognized as a leading force, achieving many high results in football, tug-of-war, and stick pushing.

In particular, tug-of-war and stick-pushing almost "dominated" the competitions organized by the town, consistently winning first place for many years. The tug-of-war and stick-pushing teams from Ward 5 were selected by Gio Linh town to represent the town in the district competition. Subsequently, Gio Linh district also selected many members of the stick-pushing and tug-of-war teams from Ward 5 to join the district team to participate in the provincial competition.

Over the years, achievements in mass sports have become a source of pride for the officials and people here, with football being a strong sport with a long tradition and impressive achievements.

In the 10 editions of the Gio Linh Town Traditional Youth Men's Football Tournament held on an 11-a-side pitch, the team from Ward 5 has won 7 championships, finished as runner-up twice, and secured 1 third-place finish. Notably, the Ward 5 team has never lost in regular time, only drawing 3 times and losing in penalty shootouts.

In amateur football tournaments organized at the town level in Gio Linh on 7-a-side artificial turf, the team from Ward 5 continues to maintain and affirm its form with multiple championships. Along with the youth men's team, the veteran team from Ward 5 also achieved impressive results, winning one championship and one runner-up title at the Gio Linh Town Veterans Football Tournament.

Besides team titles, the amateur football team of Ward 5 also boasts many individual awards such as best player of the tournament, top scorer of the tournament, and best goalkeeper of the tournament...

The corner preserving sports memorabilia is the result of the dedication of many players in Ward 5, Gio Linh town, across generations - Photo: DC

Mr. Nguyen Van Vinh, a former player who made many contributions to football in Ward 5, shared: "About 30 years ago, I and my friends in the ward had a passion for football. Despite the difficult conditions and lack of resources, whenever we heard that people were gathering to play football, we all joined in."

Sometimes, we would ride our rickety bicycles, packed with rice balls and sesame salt, all the way to the eastern villages of Vinh Linh to play football. Through these interactions, we learned many valuable things and gained precious experience to improve our football skills.

At that time, I, along with players Nguyen Nhat Tan, Mai Phuoc Tan, and many other brothers, were committed to working together to lay a solid foundation for the development of football in Ward 5. As we got older, we joined the coaching staff, leading younger generations of players.

Currently, Ward 5 proudly boasts many talented players in amateur and grassroots football leagues in Quang Tri, such as Bui Ngoc Chung, Le Phong Phu, Nhan Ngoc Rin, Nguyen Duc Tue... These are the players who will continue to write the football achievements for the locality.”

Preserving traditions, nurturing movements.

Many players and residents of Ward 5 say that football has connected people with the same passion and strengthened solidarity within the community. Whenever the Ward 5 football team participates in a tournament, residents put aside their work to support the team both materially and spiritually. In return, the players also give their all for their team, achieving impressive results.

Although it's just an amateur team, the coaching staff has implemented strict regulations, ensuring a high level of discipline among the players, such as communal living, and a ban on drinking beer or alcohol from training sessions until the end of the tournament. Some players who work far from home have even taken time off from their jobs to return to their hometowns to serve the team, leaving behind unforgettable memories with their hometown team.

Appreciating those good things and the team's achievements, many people, including Mr. Nguyen Nhat Tan and the players of the Neighborhood 5 team, always want to preserve those memories and maintain the tradition through concrete actions. Mr. Tan recounted that, initially, he set aside a small room in his house to store the team's achievements such as trophies, medals, title boards, jerseys, etc.

For many years, his house became a gathering place for him and his friends to chat and discuss sports. However, what Mr. Tan wished for was to have a dedicated space in a different location, in a larger and more convenient area, so that everyone could comfortably watch and reminisce about the past and look to the future.

Let's reminisce about the memories through these mementos - Photo: DC

According to Mr. Le Nhat Minh, upon learning of Mr. Tan's wishes and those of the football players in the neighborhood, he discussed the matter with them and they agreed to choose a location within the Neighborhood 5 Cultural and Sports Center to display the commemorative items. This location is where the team gathers for meetings, meals, and tactical discussions, making it convenient for the players to visit and reminisce about the beautiful memories through the images, trophies, and jerseys.

This small corner will also have a significant impact on the players, inspiring them to perform better and live up to the traditions of their predecessors. With the joint efforts and contributions of many individuals and organizations, in November 2022, the corner preserving traditions was inaugurated and put into operation, much to the joy of the people of Ward 5.

All the sporting achievements of many generations, mementos steeped in history such as a photograph from 20 years ago, an old jersey, goalkeeper gloves, or even rolls of bandages and medical supplies used in the tournament, are placed in a prominent position.

Former player Le Phong Phu shared: “After nearly 20 years of dedication to local football, I am very happy to bring my memorabilia, such as the award for best player of the tournament, the ball, the captain's armband, and the medals, to be placed here. It can be said that the dedication of the former players and teammates has now become a reality, as everyone has a place to admire the achievements of the neighborhood team through generations, and also to see images of a vibrant part of their youth.”

According to Mr. Le Nhat Minh, in the coming time, the locality will focus on further developing its strengths in football and maintaining training for other sports teams such as tug-of-war, folk dance, volleyball, etc., to improve performance in grassroots competitions.

We will also actively mobilize resources and arrange for more prominent locations to preserve the memories of other sports in the neighborhood. Through this, we want to remind the younger generation to continue making contributions, preserving traditions, and nurturing the passion that previous generations have passed down...

Hoai Diem Chi

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa-the-thao/noi-luu-giu-nhung-ky-uc-the-thao/181944.htm