Athletes were enjoying peaceful villages of Hue while biking
Public sport events, yet reaching an international scope
On August 25 and 26, and on September 2, Hue city became more crowded. In addition to the crowd gathered to cheer for the Vietnam Olympic Football team playing at the 2018 Asian Games and the National Day traditional boat race, the city by the banks of the Huong river also received two rounds of visitors who were athletes and their families participating in the Coupe de Hue Cycle Race 2018 and the Hue Half Marathon 2018. There were two auxiliary activities, including Thua Thien Hue International Cycling Open 2018 and the SUP race on the Perfume River.
It is worth mentioning that all three Coupe de Hue, SUP race and Hue Half marathon were first organized in Hue city and Vietnam, yet attracted over 2,200 people, including more than 500 athletes from the provinces and cities across the country, such as Ca Mau, Kien Giang, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Thai Binh, Haiphong, Hanoi... as well as from other countries such as the USA, Australia, Canada… - a remarkable number while Hue authorities are still seeking for solutions to the problem of increasing days of tourists’ stay.
In fact, Hue is not strong in professional cycling and marathon, yet it attracts quite large involvement of the public in sport events. However, to gather those who love these two sports to organize international tournament was a not simple story. After the Coupe de Hue, a player from Hanoi shared, “This is a great tournament. It was rare to have provincial leaders to join athletes in a tournament. The organization is very smooth with great cooperation from referees to traffic police, medical teams... Fans and volunteers are friendly, thoughtful and enthusiastic. This will motivate me to be in Hue next year.”
“The organizing committee should be proud of what has been achieved as they received enthusiastic supports from Thua Thien Hue leaders, event participants and fans. Laguna is very honored to be involved in this event for the next time,” Laguna CEO Gavin Herbolt commented.
It's about organization. In terms of participants, in order to practice biking, at least a player has to spend VND 10 million to buy bicycle, socks, helmet and dozens of related items. When participating in the tournament in Hue city, athletes, in addition to expenses for travelling, foods, accommodation, also have to pay additional fees for attending the race as well as other expenses for the family “army troop” accompanying to support and cheer.
Athletes participating in Hue Half Marathon 2018
Marathon is a both popular and luxury sport since a runner may not need anything except for clothes, but sometimes he has to spend a lot of money to equip with many related things. When attending the Hue Half Marathon 2018, participants must pay a fee of VND 300-800 thousand/person (depending on the race distance). Of more than 1,500 participants, there are many of them registered for both spouses and children.
Compared with the two sports mentioned above, SUP racing has not developed yet. On the one hand, this sport has been introduced into Vietnam recently, developing mainly in Hanoi city for 5 years. On the other hand, the cost for a boarder is quite a lot. The paddle board costs up to VND 30 million apiece. The competition in Hue is also the first time it was organized in Vietnam. After this race, the SUP boarders from Ha Noi, Vung Tau, Phan Thiet... had an ambition to raise this year SUP tournament to an international level, and still choose Hue as a competing place. Previously, a respectful volunteer action of the SUP boarders was to collect garbage on the Perfume river.
The issue is why Hue city? Why did they have to travel to Hue to attend sports that winning is not everything... Because the three above-mentioned sports were not focused too much on win-lose issue. Mostly during the competition, the participants got and received smiles and motivation that helped them overcome their own limitation, and experience a memorable journey in Hue city.
Heading to a Sports festival
Besides Hue Festival and Hue Traditional Handicrafts Festival, which have been making a mark in hearts of the public in the country and abroad, what if Hue has a Sports Festival?
All activities in the Hue Festivals and Hue Traditional Handicrafts Festival aimed at showing, promoting, preserving, exchanging and creating linkage, and at the same time, introducing the most quintessential of the locality and of Vietnam to tourists all over the world and vice versa, hence, promoting tourism and economic development.
The Sports Festival can be a little different and simpler. However, its aim is to make Hue more dynamic through sports activities that are upgraded to festivals. It also helps athletes who are tourists, spectators and owners of sport activities to experience more deeply. This is a great way to further promote culture, environment, tourism, land, and people of Hue city.
Story and photos: HAN DANG