Developing high-performance sports and nurturing young talent

VHO - From the strengths of athletics, karate, pencak silat, rowing, volleyball, football, Ha Tinh sports is gradually affirming its position, aiming towards professional development and nurturing the next generation of athletes.

In a conversation with Van Hoa Newspaper, Ms. Phan Thi Thu Huong, Director of Ha Tinh Sports Training and Competition Center (HL&TĐ-TDTT) shared about the journey of nurturing talent and building a high-performance sports foundation - where each medal is not only the result of training but also a symbol of will and pride of the homeland.

Ms. Phan Thi Thu Huong, Director of Ha Tinh Sports Training and Competition Center

Strategic orientation

Reporter: Madam, Ha Tinh is considered a locality with a strongly developing sports movement in the North Central region. What is the Center's orientation to improve high-performance sports, making Ha Tinh a bright spot on the national sports map?

- Ms. Phan Thi Thu Huong: In recent years, Ha Tinh Sports has made great strides, especially in national and international tournaments. Athletes have brought home valuable medals, contributing to the overall achievements of Ha Tinh province's sports in particular and Vietnam in general. Every year, the Ha Tinh delegation participates in national and international sports tournaments and wins over 200 medals of all kinds. However, to break through and affirm our position, we are determined to develop Ha Tinh sports in a professional - scientific - sustainable direction.

The center focuses on three strategic directions: First, investing in key sports, the province's strengths such as athletics, karate, pencak silat, rowing, volleyball, football... while promoting the discovery and training of young athletes in a professional direction; second, improving the quality of training, applying science and technology in evaluating and training athletes; third, promoting the socialization of sports, mobilizing resources from businesses and social organizations to join hands in investing in sports.

By 2030, Ha Tinh strives to have many athletes regularly participating in the national team and winning medals at the SEA Games and ASIAD.

How is the work of discovering, selecting and training young athletes currently being carried out? Does the Center have its own models or programs to nurture sports talents from the grassroots level?

- Ha Tinh considers the discovery and nurturing of young talents as the key step. The center closely coordinates with the Department of Education, schools, and cultural and media centers to organize grassroots tournaments, thereby discovering talented individuals. We are currently implementing amateur football classes. Talented children are selected early, professionally trained, and supported to compete in friendly tournaments to create resources for the province.

The center is building a “sports nursery” model with initial gifted classes in many subjects such as athletics, volleyball, martial arts, etc. From there, talented children will be selected and trained systematically according to the gifted - youth - team line. The center also coordinates with the education sector and school sports clubs to expand the source of discovery, create a foundation for sustainable development, and form a training chain from grassroots movements to high-performance sports.

To produce athletes that meet national and international standards, facilities and coaching staff play a key role. How do you assess the current conditions and future investment orientation?

- In reality, the physical facilities and technical equipment are not yet synchronized, the training ground system and equipment were built and used a long time ago so they are damaged and degraded; the accommodation system for coaches and athletes is overloaded, not meeting the requirements. The coaching staff currently has more than 17 people on the payroll and 17 people are summoned according to the province's special policy. However, there is still a shortage of coaches in some departments, leading to a situation where some department leaders have to concurrently take on coaching work. This partly affects professional efficiency and training of future athletes.

In the coming time, we hope the province will continue to pay attention, supplement the staff and policies to attract high-quality sports human resources.

Athlete Du Thi Bong, born in 2001, Ha Tinh team (third from right) won 3 gold medals in the events: Women's single oar double sculls in the lightweight category, Women's single four oar double sculls in the heavy category and Women's eight sculls at the 2025 Asian Rowing Championships

Future aspirations

In a sports environment that requires discipline, high intensity and fierce competition, it is special that a woman takes on the role of Director of the Center for Training and Sports - Sports Training. How do you perceive the role, advantages and challenges of women in coaching and managing high-performance sports?

- Sports is a field that requires discipline, endurance and a strong spirit. Therefore, women in leadership positions must be both firm in principles and flexible in management.

As someone who grew up as an athlete, I always value the human factor, because behind every achievement is the effort of the athlete, the coach and the family. For women in management, the great advantage is understanding, sophistication and the ability to inspire. But at the same time, we must constantly learn and practice to lead the team in a high-pressure environment.

In the context of professional sports being strongly affected by the market economy and technology, what solutions does the Center have to both maintain the true sporting spirit and create sustainable development opportunities for young athletes?

- Sports are not only about achievements but also about educating personality and aspirations. At the Center, we always put the training of ethics, discipline, and team spirit first. Young athletes are taught culture, life skills, communication skills, and fair-play spirit in parallel with professional training. We regularly organize exchanges, traditional education, and volunteer activities so that children understand that sports glory must be associated with social responsibility.

Faced with the impact of the market economy and technology, the Center strengthens management, ideological orientation, builds a healthy training environment, and expands cooperation and applies science and technology in training to create opportunities for sustainable development. The goal is to form a force of young athletes who are both talented and have good personalities, who know how to contribute to sports and society, which is the foundation for Ha Tinh sports to develop sustainably and long-term.

Looking to the future, what do you expect from the young athletes of Ha Tinh in the next 5-10 years, a generation that can conquer big arenas and at the same time be the pride of the homeland on the map of Vietnamese sports?

- I believe that the young generation of athletes in Ha Tinh today is a new source of energy, confidence, courage and desire to contribute. With the right investment orientation and the support of society, we expect that in the next 5-10 years, Ha Tinh will have many excellent competitors at the national and regional levels, even participating in the Asian and Olympic arenas.

More importantly, I hope you will become good citizens, with courage and responsibility for your homeland, continuing the tradition of studiousness, resilience and determination of the people of Ha Tinh. The highest goal is to build Ha Tinh sports not only strong in achievements, but also beautiful in spirit and human values.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/phat-trien-the-thao-thanh-tich-cao-va-uom-mam-tai-nang-tre-176666.html