Lai Chau sports sector makes breakthrough, affirming its position.

In recent years, the province's sports sector has undergone a significant transformation, gradually asserting its position on the regional and national sports map, and...

Male athletes compete at the 2025 National Youth Age Group Athletics Championships hosted by Lai Chau province.

Sports milestone

In fact, the province's performance at national championships has steadily improved in recent years. The number of medals has increased year by year, and many athletes have been called up to the national and youth teams. From 2025 to the present, the province's high-performance sports have brought in more than 120 medals of all kinds – clearly affirming the sustainable development of Lai Chau sports.

Speaking with reporters, Mr. Tran Van Cong, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: Lai Chau's sports sector continues to see positive signs as young athlete Ngo Thi My An has been called up to the national Taekwondo team to participate in the 2026 World Youth Taekwondo Championships in Uzbekistan from April 8-18, 2026. Previously, many athletes also achieved impressive results such as: Bui Tuan Tu winning a Silver Medal in athletics at the Asian Youth Games; Lo Manh Truong winning a Bronze Medal at the Asian Youth Championships in boxing; and Nguyen Gia Nhu winning a Gold Medal at the Southeast Asian Youth Championships in Taekwondo.

To achieve these results, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has identified a focused development strategy, concentrating on strong sports such as athletics, taekwondo, and boxing, tailored to the physical condition and training capabilities of local athletes. Emphasis has been placed on selecting and training talented individuals at the grassroots level; training methods have been innovated; and training and competitive experience have been increased. Simultaneously, efforts have been intensified to promote social mobilization and invest in infrastructure and equipment, gradually improving the quality of activities.

Alongside high-performance sports, the mass sports movement is developing strongly. From urban areas to mountainous regions, more and more people are participating in regular exercise. Well-organized grassroots sports competitions, linked to cultural and tourism activities, create a vibrant atmosphere and spread the spirit of health training throughout the community.

Typically, the launching ceremony of the "National Movement for Physical Training Following the Example of the Great President Ho Chi Minh" and the "Olympic Run for Public Health - For National Security" in 2026 was recently held, attracting a large number of officials, civil servants, armed forces personnel, students, and people of all ethnic groups in the province to participate with enthusiasm.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Oanh (Tan Phong ward) shared: "Every day, my family and I jog at the Provincial People's Square and the lake area to improve our health. Every year I participate in the Olympic Run because it makes me more friends and motivates me to maintain this good habit."

Athletes from Lai Chau province train regularly.

Currently, the province has 153 sports training facilities; 5 tennis courts; 26 artificial turf mini-football fields; 7 stadiums with grandstands; over 300 pickleball courts; more than 156,300 people regularly participate in sports, nearly 19,900 sports families, and approximately 440 clubs and training centers. On average, hundreds of sports competitions are organized annually from the provincial to the grassroots level.

Aspiration to reach further

Not content with current achievements, in 2026 and the 2026-2030 period, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism aims for sustainable development with a clear focus and unique identity. This will continue to prioritize athletics, taekwondo, and boxing as core disciplines to create breakthroughs. Specifically, the goal is to improve high-performance sports achievements, increase the number of medals at national competitions; have athletes achieve high results at regional and international competitions; and build a high-quality, stable, and long-term pool of future athletes.

Athlete Ngo My An (on the left), from the Provincial Sports Training and Competition Center, has been called up to the National Taekwondo Team.

At the same time, vigorously develop the mass sports movement, increasing the percentage of people participating in regular exercise; link sports with improving community health and building grassroots cultural life. Mobilize social resources to invest in the comprehensive development of facilities and sports fields, especially in mountainous, remote, and border areas, creating conditions for people to participate in physical training following the example of the great President Ho Chi Minh.

A key strategy is to promote the organization of large-scale sporting events, especially those with unique characteristics such as marathons, mountain climbing, and cross-country paragliding, linked to tourism promotion. Through this, the aim is to gradually build Lai Chau's image as an attractive destination for experiential sports and tourism.

Comrade Tran Van Cong - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, added: Currently, the Department is coordinating with agencies, units and Sin Suoi Ho commune to prepare for the 4th Lai Chau Provincial Mountain Climbing Competition - Conquering Ta Lien Son Peak in mid-April. Through this competition, we hope to attract many athletes and tourists who love adventure sports to conquer one of the most majestic and beautiful high peaks of Lai Chau during the rhododendron blooming season; explore the poetic scenery of the Northwest mountains and forests and experience the unique culture in the ASEAN community tourism village of Sin Suoi Ho.

According to Comrade Tran Van Cong, in order to achieve the set goals and create a breakthrough, the Culture, Sports and Tourism sector urgently needs the attention and guidance of the province, the coordination of departments, agencies, and localities, and the support of the business community and the people in allocating resources and investing in infrastructure. From there, a combined strength will be created to drive the strong and sustainable development of sports in Lai Chau in the future.

Source: https://baolaichau.vn/the-thao/the-thao-lai-chau-but-pha-khang-dinh-vi-the-1121455