Tung Con - a fascinating game in the highlands.

Thanks to the attention of all levels and sectors, many traditional sports of ethnic minority communities in the western communes of Thanh Hoa province, including the game of throwing the ball (or throwing the ball), have been preserved and promoted.

The game of throwing is still preserved and promoted by the Thai and Muong ethnic groups in Thanh Hoa province.

The game of throwing is closely associated with the life, activities, and work of the Thai and Muong ethnic groups, often organized during festivals and holidays. Through its development, the game of throwing has been included in competitions at the provincial ethnic minority sports festivals.

To play the game of "tung con" (a traditional Vietnamese ball game), a large open space is needed, along with a pole. The ball is made from several pieces of colored fabric sewn together into segments, filled with sand, with a diameter of 5-6 cm and heavy enough to be thrown far; colorful pieces about 5 cm long are attached to the corners of the ball; a strong, durable fabric string about 50 cm long is sewn in the middle. In the middle of the large grassy area, a pole (usually made of bamboo) is erected. Near the top of the pole, a circular bamboo ring, with a diameter of 45-50 cm, is hung. The game requires two teams, one male and one female, or a mixed male-female team, separated by the pole, facing each other. The technique involves the player holding the ball near the end of the fabric string, spinning it a few times clockwise before tossing it towards the target. The team with the most successful throws through the bamboo ring wins.

In Son Thuy commune, the traditional game of throwing the ball is being preserved and promoted by the local people. To achieve this, the commune has regularly organized exchange and competition activities in traditional sports to develop the movement of physical exercise and sports training among ethnic minority communities.

Pham Ngoc Thanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Son Thuy commune, shared: "Nowadays, throwing the ball has been included as a competitive sport in the commune's sports competitions, attracting a large number of participants. In the future, the commune will continue to encourage talented individuals to guide young people in practicing the sport of throwing the ball."

Through numerous editions, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Ethnic Sports Festival has included the throwing of the ball (tung con) as an official competition. The throwing of the ball competition has generated lively and exciting competition for spectators. In particular, in recent years, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has organized activities to preserve and promote the sports of ethnic minorities, including the implementation of Project 6, under the National Target Program for socio -economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period 2021-2030, organizing the traditional sports festival of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas in Thanh Hoa province.

According to Nguyen Duy Tu, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism : "In the coming time, the department will continue to direct communes with ethnic minority populations to pay attention to preserving and promoting traditional sports of ethnic minorities by integrating them into cultural activities and festivals. We will maintain the Thanh Hoa Provincial Ethnic Sports Competition, promoting the development of the physical education and sports movement in mountainous communes in particular and the physical education and sports movement of Thanh Hoa province in general. This is an important solution contributing to the strong spread of the tung con (ball throwing) sport in the lives of the people."

Text and photos: Hai Anh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tung-con-tro-choi-hap-dan-o-vung-cao-269550.htm