On the evening of 16 July, at the Can Tho City multi-purpose sports hall, the 2014 National Sports Games for People with Disabilities, organised by the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, the Vietnam Paralympic Association and the Can Tho City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, officially opened.
This year's games brought together 954 athletes with disabilities, men and women, from 28 provinces and cities across the country, including: Ba Ria Vung Tau, Bac Giang, Can Tho, Da Nang, Dak Nong, Dong Nai, Ha Giang, Hanoi, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Hau Giang, Khanh Hoa, Kon Tum, Lam Dong, Ninh Thuan, Phu Yen, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Son La, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien Hue, Ho Chi Minh City, Tra Vinh and Vinh Long.
The athletes compete in seven sports: athletics, swimming, weightlifting, table tennis, badminton, Bocci and chess. Athletes are classified by impairment and drawn into competitions according to the regulations. The organisers said that the facilities and training and competition venues serving the games are all assured, and most competitions will take place at the Can Tho sports complex, with swimming alone held at the Military Region 9 swimming pool.
According to the organisers, the Ho Chi Minh City team is the largest at this year's games, with 361 athletes, followed by the Hanoi team with 114 athletes, and the host team Can Tho third largest with 82 athletes. The Tra Vinh team has the fewest athletes, with one athlete competing in weightlifting.
Last year, the games were held in Hanoi, and the Ho Chi Minh City team finished first overall with a total of 617 medals, Hanoi second and Quang Tri third. This year, the top two places are expected to go to the Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi teams. At this year's games, the host team Can Tho aims to finish third overall. Before the opening ceremony, qualifying rounds had already taken place in many events, including badminton, table tennis, weightlifting, Bocci, athletics, chess and swimming. On the competition day of 17 July and the following competition days, many events will move into the finals to decide the rankings.
According to the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, for many years the sports games for people with disabilities have steadily developed in both scale and quality, clearly showing the concern of the State, the relevant sector and social organisations. Through this sporting arena, people with disabilities have had the chance to affirm their will and resilience in rising up, and their desire to integrate into the community. Beyond that, the games are also an opportunity to select athletes with disabilities who have the qualities and talent to enter targeted training programmes, towards international sports competitions for people with disabilities in the future.
The games are expected to run until 20 July.
Thanh Sang – http://baotintuc.vn