Wushu martial artist Nguyễn Thị Thu Thủy seen in a training session. Born in 1998 in Tân Yên District, Bắc Giang Province, she won a gold medal at the 2023 World Wushu Championship in the women's 60kg sanda category in the US.

HÀ NỘI — In recent years, elite sports in Bắc Giang Province have achieved significant success. However, the overall development of sports in the province has not fully matched its potential.

In order to promote the growth of elite sports, Bắc Giang is committed to selecting appropriate models and development strategies that align with local conditions. The province aims to emphasise the selection and training of talented athletes.

Securing gold medals

According to the Bắc Giang Provincial Sports Training and Competition Centre, from 2012 to now, Bắc Giang has participated in 630 domestic, regional, and international tournaments. Athletes from the province have garnered a total of 1,920 national medals. Among these, the athletes have achieved 796 medals in the national championships (including 208 gold medals, 214 silver medals, and 374 bronze medals) and 1,124 medals in the national youth championships (including 270 gold medals, 298 silver medals, and 556 bronze medals).

Furthermore, Bắc Giang athletes have also earned 95 international medals. This includes 27 medals from world championships (11 gold medals, 12 silver medals, and four bronze medals), 29 medals from Asian championships (8 gold medals, 11 silver medals, and 10 bronze medals), and 39 medals from the Southeast Asia event (21 gold medals, 11 silver medals, and seven bronze medals).

In 2023 alone, despite numerous challenges, the dedicated efforts of Bắc Giang's elite athletes resulted in remarkable achievements. They participated in 63 national tournaments and eight international tournaments, securing a total of 402 medals (96 gold medals, 100 silver medals, and 206 bronze medals). Notably, Bắc Giang athletes won seven medals at the 32nd SEA Games, including four gold medals in athletics by runner Nguyễn Thị Oanh, one gold medal in duathlon by Phạm Tiến Sản, one individual silver medal, and one bronze medal in men's doubles in ouk chaktrang chess by Nguyễn Quang Trung. Additionally, Nguyễn Thị Thu Thủy won a gold medal at the 2023 World Wushu Championship.

Consistently performing well at the National Sports Games, Bắc Giang competes in eight to 12 sports and consistently ranks among the top 10 to 17 teams. In the 2022 edition of the National Sports Games, Bắc Giang sent over 140 athletes to participate in 12 out of 43 sports. The province secured 44 medals, including 14 gold medals, 11 silver medals, and 19 bronze medals. This achievement positioned Bắc Giang in 17th place out of 65 teams, representing an increase of 23 medals and one place in the rankings compared to the National Sports Games in 2018.

Bùi Ngọc Anh, the Director of the Provincial Sports Training and Competition Centre, highlighted badminton, chess, athletics, and wrestling as the sports in which Bắc Giang excels, consistently bringing home the most gold medals. Alongside familiar faces who have competed in numerous national, regional, and international tournaments, such as Vũ Thị Trang (badminton), Nguyễn Thị Mai Hưng, Võ Thị Kim Phụng (chess), Phạm Tiến Sản, Nguyễn Thị Oanh (athletics), Nguyễn Thị Thu Thủy (wushu), Nguyễn Anh Tuấn and Hoàng Thị Hải (shuttlecock), young athletes from Bắc Giang have also made noteworthy contributions. For instance, Phùng Bảo Quyên won a silver medal at the World Chinese Chess Championship, showcasing the remarkable breakthrough of Bắc Giang's elite sports.

Nguyễn Thị Thu Thủy has won many domestic and international medals.

Developing appropriate models and orientations for elite sports

In order to attain the aforementioned achievements, Bắc Giang has consistently placed an emphasis on implementing regimes and policies for athletes and coaches as prescribed by higher authorities. This commitment serves as a driving force for the province's continuous development of elite sports.

The number of elite sports has been gradually expanding in scale, going from 11 sports in 2012 to 15 sports in 2023, with a focus on centralised training. The quantity and quality of officials and coaches working in elite sports training have increased. Additionally, investments have been made in facilities for training elite athletes, including the construction of new sports facilities to meet the training needs of athletes in the province.

However, according to Trương Quang Hải, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Bắc Giang Province, despite the achievements, there are certain sports in Bắc Giang that have not realised their full potential. For example, wrestling has not won any gold medals in three National Sports Games, and shuttlecock has only secured one gold medal in each National Sports Games. Furthermore, Bắc Giang does not currently have a football team participating in V.League 1 or V.League 2.

The province recognises the importance of developing elite sports on a solid foundation that aligns with the province's socio-economic development strategy. Therefore, Bắc Giang will continue to focus on investing in key sports such as athletics, chess, badminton, shuttlecock, and wrestling. Additionally, it will conduct research and develop new sports with potential in the national, regional, and global competition systems, including canoeing, rowing, kickboxing, kurask, football, volleyball, and table tennis.

Bắc Giang Province has set a goal to achieve a ranking of 15th place out of 65 participating delegations from across the country, and to be the leading province among mountainous regions at the 10th National Sports Games in 2026. Furthermore, they aim to secure five to seven medals at the upcoming SEA Games in Thailand.

Athlete Nguyễn Thị Thu Thủy.

To promote the development of elite sports in Bắc Giang, the province will implement several solutions in the near future. These include amending and supplementing specific remuneration policies for coaches and athletes who win medals at the Olympics, Asian events, and SEA Games. High priority will be given to key sports such as athletics, chess, badminton, shuttlecock, and wrestling. The province will also prioritise supporting vocational training and recruitment for high-achieving coaches and athletes, as well as developing effective plans and organisations for coaches and athletes to train abroad.

Furthermore, the province aims to promote the development of mass sports, which will enhance the quality of talent recruitment and encourage the socialisation of elite sports.

Additionally, from 2024 to 2026, the province will continue to construct facilities, sports venues, and invest in equipment and tools to meet the training and competition needs of elite sports. This will also enable the province to host national, regional, and international sports tournaments. VNS