At MegaBowl Center (Thanh My Loi Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), the typical sounds of bowling combined with cheers and laughter have become the new rhythm of life of the Para Bowling Club for the disabled.
Established from the cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City Sports Training Center and Mega Bowl Center, this club not only initiated the first Para Bowling movement but also contributed to promoting the sustainable development of disabled sports in Vietnam.
Under the leadership of Coach Bao Ky, who has many years of experience with the Ho Chi Minh City bowling team, the club quickly became professional and attracted the attention of the community.
Para Bowling Club was born as an open space where people with disabilities can exercise together, share the joy of sports and break down invisible limitations in life.
Currently, the club has attracted more than 30 members, including people with mobility disabilities, Down syndrome and autism. Activities take place regularly at noon from Monday to Thursday every week.
Although considered an accessible sport, bowling is still a challenging journey for people with disabilities. Although it does not require running, jumping or strong bounces, each move requires high concentration, patience and dexterity in each movement. When entering the competition environment, physical limitations are more clearly revealed, making the efforts of each athlete to overcome them all the more valuable.
The club’s goal is not just to create a movement. According to Coach Bao Ky, talented and potential athletes will be selected to join the Ho Chi Minh City team to participate in national and international tournaments.
“We hope to develop the club into a professional training center, where people with disabilities not only play sports to improve their health, but also have the opportunity to compete, go further and compete with international friends,” Coach Bao Ky shared.
The club also attracts many disabled athletes from other sports. Among them is Nguyen Hong Loi - a veteran swimmer of Vietnam's disabled sports community. He believes that bowling has brought a new source of inspiration, rekindling the sporting spirit in the community.
“As a swimmer trying bowling, I felt very eager and excited about this new sport. From how to hold the ball to throwing it in the right direction, it was a challenging learning process that required a lot of concentration. This experience made me feel like I was reliving my first days in the sport,” said Nguyen Hong Loi.
The image of the prosthetic legs removed and neatly placed in a small corner on the side of the bowling alley. For many club members, the moment they step onto the playground is also the moment they temporarily put aside their body complexes and personal limitations to live like everyone else.
When the ball is rolling and the cheers are going on, no one cares about the wheelchair, the prosthetic leg or the missing arm. Everyone is a real athlete, trying their best, enjoying the sport and regaining confidence in themselves.
In the moment of celebration after a successful throw, the applause and bright smiles resound as an affirmation that: sports not only help improve physical fitness but also connect, accompany and motivate each other to overcome limits, towards professional arenas in the future.
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Trung (Binh Tan District) often arrives early at the club. Sitting in a wheelchair, he carefully selects the best balls for himself and his friends to practice.
“I learned about the club through the announcement of the Ho Chi Minh City Sports Training Center. At first, I just wanted to try it out, but after a few training sessions, I felt like I had found a new family. Here, we can meet, practice and encourage each other. I hope the city will have more playgrounds like this for the disabled community,” said Nguyen Quoc Trung emotionally.
In recent years, the sports movement for people with disabilities in Ho Chi Minh City has shown many signs of improvement. Authorities at all levels and the community have increasingly paid more attention and provided more practical support to people with disabilities.
The emergence of sports venues such as the Bowling Club for the Disabled is a positive sign that society is increasingly paying attention to and creating conditions for the disabled community. Not simply a place for physical exercise, such venues also open the door to connection, helping the disabled build community, regain confidence and improve their quality of life.
The Para Bowling Club is open Monday to Thursday from 12pm to 2pm and is completely free.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/cau-lac-bo-bowling-cho-nguoi-khuet-tat-dau-tien-tai-viet-nam-20250718184041524.htm
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