Vinh Long focuses on developing sports in the Khmer ethnic minority area

Implementing the plan to implement Conclusion 70-KL/TW of the Politburo on developing physical training and sports in the new period, in recent times, the Department of Physical Training and Sports of Vinh Long province has always paid attention to promoting the development of mass physical training and sports movements, including physical training and sports activities in the Khmer ethnic minority areas. Thereby, not only helping to improve the spiritual life and health of the people but also contributing to restoring, preserving and promoting traditional sports in the province.

Promoting sports training spirit for Khmer ethnic people

Currently, in Vinh Long province, there are more than 22,600 Khmer people (accounting for 2.2% of the population). Of which, the localities with the largest proportion are Binh Minh town and the districts: Vung Liem, Tra On, Tam Binh.

The province actively builds a project to develop petanque.

Along with the concern for economic and social development, the provincial authorities at all levels have paid more attention to the need for sports training to improve the health of ethnic minorities in the province. Through participating in local mass tournaments, people's awareness of the benefits of sports training has also been raised. Sports activities are considered an indispensable "spiritual food" in the cultural life of the Khmer ethnic people in the province.

And to preserve and promote cultural values ​​imbued with national identity through sports activities, localities have flexibly organized competitions in traditional sports integrated into holidays, traditional New Year, Cultural Festival of the Khmer ethnic group... These activities have contributed to creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere and have become a traditional cultural lifestyle, enriching the spiritual life of local people.

In fact, in addition to popular sports such as football and volleyball, sports typical of the Khmer ethnic group such as dragon boat racing, stick pushing, iron marbles, and snail chess are always given attention, maintained and organized, and receive enthusiastic support from the ethnic people here. For example, at the pagodas, there are volleyball courts to meet the needs of training and developing the movement.

Some typical localities that must be mentioned are Dong Binh commune, Binh Minh town. In the area, there are currently 2 hamlets where Khmer people live, accounting for 30% of households in the whole commune. If in the past, people mainly focused on improving their income, now they pay more attention to improving their health through physical training and sports. Taking advantage of the afternoon after work and school hours, people actively participate in physical training, practicing football, volleyball, martial arts, etc. to improve their health and gain more skills to participate in tournaments organized by the locality.

Children compete in tug of war at the Sel Dolta festival at Ky Son pagoda (Loan My commune, Tam Binh district).

In Huu Thanh commune, Tra On district, about 20% of the population is Khmer. The locality has promoted the role of socialization, mobilizing people to contribute to building playgrounds for training and sports competitions, while promoting the implementation of the campaign "All people exercise following the example of great Uncle Ho" and mass sports in the Khmer ethnic area. The locality regularly organizes and creates conditions for people to participate in sports activities such as: Tug of war, stick pushing, volleyball, dragon boat racing...

In order to encourage and motivate the people, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has also regularly coordinated with localities to organize the Military-Civilian Tet Program and the Khmer Cultural and Sports Festival in Vinh Long province. In 2025, the program was held in Dong Thanh commune (Binh Minh town), attracting more than 300 athletes who are Khmer ethnic people and officers and soldiers of armed units in the province. The festival organized sports such as: 5-a-side football, men's volleyball, and indispensable ethnic sports such as men's and women's sampan racing and stick pushing.

According to Director of the Provincial Sports Training and Competition Center Nguyen Minh Hien: The program has a very practical meaning in connecting the traditional Tet holiday of the nation with political activities and policies of the military rear. Thereby, helping the provincial sports sector to promptly select talented athletes to train and create conditions to compete in regional and national sports tournaments and festivals.

Focus on preserving national sports

In order to restore, preserve and promote traditional ethnic sports of the Khmer people, Vinh Long province has promoted the campaign "All people practice physical exercise following the example of great Uncle Ho" for the period 2021 - 2030; the province also invested in developing a number of ethnic sports, including the project "Developing Petanque in Khmer ethnic pagodas in Vinh Long province for the period 2020 - 2025".

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Huynh Trung Toan: In the coming time, the industry will continue to review to have a plan to support professional competitions, restore and preserve folk games and traditional sports of the Khmer ethnic group.

Khmer ethnic people in Loan My commune (Tam Binh) participate in the Ngo boat race to celebrate Ok Om Bok festival.

In order to meet the increasing demand for sports conservation in the Khmer ethnic minority region, improving the quality of cultural and sports facilities in localities has been paid attention to and focused on. Up to now, Vinh Long province has 315 mini football fields, 37 swimming pools, more than 300 gyms, gyms for sports such as badminton, billiards, yoga, bodybuilding, fitness, aerobics, health-preserving gymnastics, etc.; more than 1,000 simple sports training tools in parks, streets, cultural and sports centers at the commune level and cultural houses - sports areas of hamlets and inter-hamlets.

The communes have invested in building 96 cultural houses - hamlet and inter-hamlet sports areas, with an area of ​​1000 m2 or more, a hall with 100 - 150 seats, a stage with an area of ​​30 m2 and auxiliary works according to regulations. Hamlets that do not have cultural houses - sports areas are allowed by the People's Committee of the commune to use public places such as schools, cultural - sports centers of the commune... as places for entertainment, recreation and physical training for the people.

According to the leaders of the Center for Culture, Information and Sports of Tam Binh district - the unit with the largest Khmer population: in the past time, the district has coordinated with local authorities, taking advantage of local facilities to organize many traditional sports competitions such as: Ngo boat racing, Tam Ban boat racing... to celebrate traditional festivals of the Khmer people, especially the traditional New Year Chol Chnam Thmay, Sel Dolta festival,... The biggest goal when organizing these tournaments is to attract a large number of athletes who are ethnic minorities here to participate in the competition, contributing to strengthening solidarity, building a healthy lifestyle, improving culture and spirit for the local community.

In the coming time, the development of the mass sports movement in general, together with the attention and investment of sectors and local authorities at all levels, the sports movement in the Khmer ethnic minority region will have further progress, contributing positively to the general development of high-performance sports in the whole Vinh Long province.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/vinh-long-chu-trong-phat-trien-tdtt-vung-dong-bao-dan-toc-khmer-20250623150506875.htm