Sports Festival of Southern region’s Natural Resources – Environment sector

Afternoon Jul 29, the 13^th Sports Festival of Southern region’s Natural Resources – Environment (NRE) sector was opened at Multifunctional Arena of Binh Duong Province Sports Center. 17 delegations from provinces and 3 delegations of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment took part in sports, like football, tennis, table tennis, tug war and sack jumping.

Representatives of 20 delegations drew lots for fixture list

A meaningful sports festival

The Sports Festival of Southern region’s NRE sector is an annually traditional activity and is hosted alternately by NRE Departments and units of Southern region’s NRE sector. The first festival was hosted by Tien Giang Province NRE Department in Aug 2004 with 5 delegations including 195 participants. During 10 years, this festival has stimulated the development of physical training movements among sectorial officials, created an exciting, healthy atmosphere, strengthened the connection between sectorial officials in Southern provinces. In Aug 2010, Binh Duong Province hosted the 7^th festival with 20 delegations including 803 participants.

According to the Organizing Committee, this year festival will have nearly 1,000 athletes from 20 delegations. All preparations were done carefully by Binh Duong Province; catering, accommodation, transport have been well arranged in order to create comfortable conditions for delegations during the festival in Binh Duong Province. Mr. Pham Danh, Director of Binh Duong Province NRE Department, Head of Organizing Committee, informed that the festival was an opportunity for those working in NRE sector to meet, exchange NRE works. This will be a meaningful festival, while the whole country in general and Binh Duong Province in particular are on the path of industrialization, in which sustainable environmental protection is the most concerning issue. According to Mr. Danh, the sports festival will not attached much importance to achievements, but uphold chivalry, encourage officials to do physical exercises to improve health and then work better.

A humanistic sporting event

At this year sports festival, the Organizing Committee will also introduce famous landscapes, historic, cultural sites, famous specialities of Binh Duong to participants. At this 2016 festival, Dong Nai is the delegation with the highest athlete number (170 athletes), and Southern branch of Map Land Surveying Company (under NRE Ministry) with 9 athletes. As the host, Binh Duong Province NRE Department will have 150 athletes.

Mr. Pham Danh added, athlete checking to prevent frauds at the festival was done carefully. Before each competition, the Organizing Committee will base on registration documents to make specific examinations. The Organizing Committee also hopes that all participants would consider the 2016 sports festival as a day for all sectorial to exchange with the spirit of “Honesty - Solidarity - High-mindedness”; all registered athletes are officials, employees of NRE sector. Binh Duong Province will bring a humanistic sporting event, not lay too much emphasis on achievements in order for the festival to be a chance for exchange experiences between those who work in NRE sector.

Reported by Phung Hieu – Translated by Ngoc Huynh