The inaugural Lao Cai Provincial Sports Festival concluded its main events on October 31, 2026, in Cam Duong district, the first such event for local athletics since the merger. The four-day gathering brought together thousands of competitors across 18 distinct sports and 165 medal events.
Organized under the guiding theme of “Reaching strength – Connecting the community – Aspiring to reach new heights,” the event evaluated the growth of both grassroots physical fitness and high-performance training within the border province. Officials aimed to use the multi-sport congress to identify and cultivate promising talent ahead of the upcoming 10th National Sports Games in 2026.
Torchlit Opening at Cam Duong Arena
Festivities officially opened at 20:00 local time on October 28, 2026, at the Lao Cai Provincial Multipurpose Sports Palace along Tran Hung Dao Street in Cam Duong district. The televised opening ceremony drew more than 2,800 participants, featuring traditional procession rituals alongside artistic performances highlighting the cultural identity of northwestern highland communities.
Earlier that morning at 09:00, representatives gathered at Ho Chi Minh Park in the Lao Cai ward for a traditional incense-offering ceremony and to request the sacred flame. Organizers carried the flame to the main venue to burn throughout the competition, symbolizing unity, willpower, and athletic enthusiasm.
Two-Phase Competition Across 18 Disciplines
Competition was split into two distinct phases to manage the large slate of events. Phase I ran earlier in the year—with chess matches starting as early as July 2026—and featured 12 sports, drawing over 1,000 athletes in disciplines such as men’s football, futsal, swimming, karate, chess, archery, and stick pushing.
Phase II ran concurrently with the main festival dates from October 28 to October 31, 2026, encompassing six remaining sports: track and field, badminton, table tennis, volleyball, sepak takraw, and pickleball. Matches took place across multiple local venues, including the Provincial Stadium, the Multipurpose Sports Palace, the Athlete Training Center, the Provincial Tennis Court, and the Vietnam Apatite Company Sports Hall.
Pickleball Draws Youth Engagement
Among the six sports featured in the final phase, pickleball emerged as a significant draw for younger competitors.
Beyond competitive medals, the festival served to promote the “National Physical Exercise Movement Following the Example of Great President Ho Chi Minh.” The provincial department emphasized that grassroots sport remains the foundation for public health and life quality, while elite sport acts as the spearhead for competitive progress.
Closing Ceremony Provides Benchmark Data for National Competition
The festival concluded at 14:40 on October 31, 2026, with a closing ceremony, final summary report, and awards presentation for top-performing athletes and delegations at the Lao Cai Provincial Multipurpose Sports Palace. The results provide regional sports authorities with benchmark data as training gets underway for national-level competition later in the year.
