Opening of the 1st Phu Tho Provincial Sports Festival – 2026

On the evening of September 26, at the Provincial Sports Training and Competition Arena, the Provincial People’s Committee organized the Opening Ceremony of the 1st Phu Tho Provincial Sports Festival – 2026.

Attending the Opening Ceremony was Comrade Tran Duy Dong, Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee. Also present were members of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee: Bui Dinh Thi, Head of the Provincial Party Committee Organization Commission; Duong Hoang Huong, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, and Head of the Festival Organizing Committee; Comrade Nguyen Khac Hieu, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee; representatives of Tuyen Quang Provincial People’s Committee leadership; representatives of the Sports Authority of Vietnam; leaders of commissions, departments, branches, mass organizations, and armed forces; communes and wards across the province, alongside a large gathering of athletes, coaches, referees, and citizens.

Comrade Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Tran Duy Dong alongside delegates attend the Opening Ceremony of the Festival.

Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Tran Duy Dong and delegates present commemorative flags and flowers to encourage participating forces.

Opening the ceremony was a parade and show of forces featuring contingents carrying the National Flag, Festival Flag, portrait palanquin of President Ho Chi Minh, red flags, sports flags, armed forces, the Department of Education and Training, along with 18 athlete delegations from commune and ward clusters and the referee panel.

Following this, the traditional flame was ignited on the Festival cauldron. The flame symbolizes willpower, determination, and sportsmanship; while recalling the historical, cultural, and revolutionary traditions of the Ancestral Land.

Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Tran Duy Dong lights the Festival cauldron.

Delivering the opening address, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and Head of the Festival Organizing Committee Duong Hoang Huong affirmed that the Sports Festival is a major sports event and a grand festival for people across the province.

It also serves as an occasion to promote unity, determination, and aspirations to excel, affirming the role of sports in enhancing health, building character, developing cultural life, and strengthening national unity.

Flag-raising ceremony at the Opening Ceremony.

This year’s Sports Festival attracted 3,411 athletes from 151 units, competing across 16 sports disciplines. This offers an opportunity for athletes to exchange and compete; while discovering and selecting talented individuals to build sources for high-performance sports in the province.

The Director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism emphasized: In recent years, the province’s sports movement has continued to develop; mass sports have expanded, and sports activities in schools, agencies, units, armed forces, and communities have grown richer.

High-performance sports have step-by-step received investment, training, and development; numerous athletes have strived and achieved results at national and international tournaments.

Through this Sports Festival, the province aims to create further momentum for physical training among the public, turning physical exercise into a regular, voluntary habit for everyone; thereby contributing to building healthy, dynamic, united Phu Tho citizens with determination and aspirations to rise.

Moving forward, the Culture, Sports, and Tourism sector will continue advising and coordinating solutions to develop both mass sports and high-performance sports; emphasizing school sports, training young athletes, enhancing the efficiency of sports facilities, and mobilizing legal resources for sports development.

On behalf of the Organizing Committee, she requested: Athletes compete in a spirit of solidarity, honesty, and sportsmanship.

Referees, coaches, technical cadres, and support personnel uphold high responsibility, impartiality, and objectivity, adhering strictly to regulations to ensure a safe, fair, united, and successful Festival.

Spectators and citizens cheer enthusiastically and politely, contributing to an exciting, united, friendly, and culturally rich atmosphere.

Artistic performance at the Opening Ceremony.

Following the formal ceremony was a welcoming artistic performance program with the theme “Phu Tho Sports – Power of Origin, Aspiration to Reach Far”, featuring over 700 artists, performers, athletes, pupils, and students.

The performance consisted of 3 chapters: Chapter I – “Phu Tho – Sacred Origin, Converging Identity”, recreating picturesque landscapes and signature cultural features of the Ancestral Land such as Xoan singing, Trong Quan singing, and typical archaeological sites of Phu Tho.

Chapter II – “Phu Tho Sports – Community Power, Aspiration for Glory”, showcasing the intersection between traditional ethnic sports and modern sports, while honoring prominent athletes.

Chapter III – “Phu Tho Confidantly Integrating and Developing in the New Era”, portraying the achievements and development aspirations of Phu Tho Province following the expansion of its development space, conveying a spirit of integration, innovation, and progress.

Artistic performance at the Opening Ceremony.

The highlight of the program was the combination of historical and cultural values with contemporary rhythm and sportsmanship, alongside the application of modern technologies such as ArtTech, VR, AR, 3D mapping, Laser effects, and large LED screens. This created a memorable mark for the Opening Ceremony, spreading sportsmanship and inspiring pride in the ancestral homeland.

Forces participating in the parade and show of strength.

Le Hoang