Lam Dong Sports Festival Opens with a Vision of a Healthier, More Dynamic Province

The ceremony was attended by Nguyen Trong Ho, Deputy Director General of the Sports Authority of Vietnam under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Pham Trieu, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Committee of Lam Dong Province; Da Cat Vinh, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; and Dinh Van Tuan, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and Head of the Festival Organizing Committee.

Also attending were leaders of the Provincial Party Committee, Provincial People's Council, Provincial People's Committee and Viet Nam Fatherland Front Committee of Lam Dong Province; former provincial leaders through different periods; current and former leaders of the culture, sports and tourism sector; representatives of the Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism of neighboring provinces; and representatives of departments, agencies and localities across the province.

The aspirations carried by the festival flame

The opening ceremony began with a parade featuring ceremonial formations, 20 delegations of athletes and a delegation of referees.

Leading the parade were the national flag, the festival flag, a formation carrying portraits of President Ho Chi Minh, the red-flag formation, followed by athlete delegations and referees. Together, they created a vivid image of the forces participating in the province's major sporting event.

The lively ceremony continued with the procession and lighting of the festival flame. The flame blazing atop the ceremonial stand symbolized the continuation of tradition, the spirit of solidarity and the aspiration to move forward among generations of Lam Dong residents.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Dinh Van Tuan said the festival provides an opportunity for athletes to compete and demonstrate the vitality of sports and physical training, a commitment to physical activity and the pursuit of better health, while showcasing their efforts, discipline and determination.

More importantly, the event reflects the spirit of a united Lam Dong, where people stand together and look toward the future.

The Vice Chairman emphasized that Lam Dong's development aspirations must be built upon a healthy, dynamic and confident community with a strong determination to advance.

In the new development period, sports should continue to play its role as a source of positive energy, helping promote physical activity and creating momentum for the community.

Each locality needs more effective sports spaces and effective sports models, while talented athletes should be identified, trained and nurtured. Every athlete should have greater aspirations and continue to pursue new goals.

Vice Chairman Dinh Van Tuan expressed his belief that the first Lam Dong Provincial Sports and Physical Training Festival 2026 would become a major celebration of the people, health, determination and the aspiration for development.

It is also an opportunity to promote the values that define the identity and strength of the homeland: solidarity, resilience in overcoming difficulties, the aspiration to advance and the traditions of Lam Dong.

Development aspirations in harmony with artistic colors

Following the ceremonial proceedings, an artistic program opened a vibrant, multicolored space, featuring performances praising the homeland, the country, the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, together with dances and songs imbued with the cultural sounds of the Central Highlands and coastal areas while conveying a modern, youthful sporting spirit.

The participation of various forces brought the spirit of the sports festival closer to everyday life, turning it into a space that connects the community. Each group contributed its own distinctive color, collectively creating a vibrant program that spread the spirit of solidarity, youth and the aspiration to move forward, while giving the first Lam Dong Provincial Sports and Physical Training Festival its own distinctive mark.

Through each performance, Lam Dong emerged as youthful, healthy and full of vitality. Cultural values were presented within the setting of a sports festival, creating a natural connection between tradition and the drive of today's generation to move forward.

The festival aims to further promote the movement "All People Exercise Their Bodies Following the Example of Great Uncle Ho." It also provides an opportunity for localities and units to exchange and compete, thereby assessing sports and physical training movements while promoting the potential and strengths of each participating unit.

The festival also aims to develop the province's sports sector in a comprehensive, modern and sustainable manner, contributing to better health, physical fitness and quality of life for the people.

The first Lam Dong Provincial Sports and Physical Training Festival 2026 features competitions in 23 sports and disciplines, with 308 events, organized in two phases from early 2026 through September 2026.

The competitions bring together athletes from 20 competition clusters of communes, wards and special administrative zones, as well as departments, agencies, armed forces, educational institutions, businesses and other units across the province.

A major milestone in preparations for the festival was the completion of grassroots sports festivals in all 124 communes, wards and special administrative zones across the province, reaching 100 percent. Agencies and units across the province also actively organized their own festivals, helping select athletes for the provincial-level event.

Under the festival regulations, the sports were selected to combine modern sports, traditional sports, ethnic sports and disciplines that have become widely practiced among the people, in line with the actual conditions of Lam Dong Province.

Preparations for the festival began in early 2026, ensuring progress according to plan. By the opening ceremony, Phase 1 had completed competitions in 15 sports, attracting 30 units and 646 athletes and creating a lively and competitive atmosphere, with many notable sporting achievements.

The 15 sports in Phase 1 included cross-country and mountain climbing; pickleball; golf; cycling; table tennis; xiangqi; chess; women's air volleyball; swimming; badminton; men's 11-a-side football; men's and women's volleyball; karate; taekwondo; and traditional martial arts.

The competitions helped provide a realistic assessment of sports and physical training movements at localities, agencies and units, while identifying promising athletes for further training and development, thereby strengthening Lam Dong's high-performance sports teams for national-level competitions.

The first Lam Dong Provincial Sports and Physical Training Festival 2026 is a major event for the province's sports sector, demonstrating the attention given by Party committees, authorities and society as a whole to the development of sports and physical training. It also provides momentum for the movement "All People Exercise Their Bodies Following the Example of Great Uncle Ho" to expand further.

Through the festival, Lam Dong continues to affirm the spirit of solidarity, honesty, sportsmanship and progress in sports. The achievements recorded at the festival will provide an important foundation for Lam Dong's sports sector to continue innovating, improving its quality and gradually advancing in the new development period.