The 2026 Gia Lai Provincial Sports Festival, held from June 15 to September 14, brought together nearly 3,000 athletes from communes, wards and three sectors: Public Security, Military, and Education and Training.
It followed grassroots Sports and Physical Training Festivals held from November 2025 to May 30, 2026, which provided the main pathway for athletes to qualify for the provincial competition.
A total of 137 of the province's 138 communes, wards and sectors organized grassroots festivals, representing 99.2% participation and attracting more than 23,000 athletes and coaches.
Nguyễn Văn Ý, deputy director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said localities faced challenges in organizing the festivals following administrative reorganization and the implementation of the two-level local government model.
Despite those difficulties, local authorities and organizations coordinated to stage the competitions, with each locality selecting sports suited to its facilities, athletes and existing strengths, he said.
At the grassroots level, localities were allowed to select between three and 10 sports depending on their conditions. Football, volleyball, badminton, table tennis and chess were among the most widely chosen events.
Some localities focused on sports with established traditions or suitable facilities. Tuy Phước Commune, for example, organized martial arts competitions, while Pleiku and Quy Nhơn wards and Đề Gi Commune focused on running.
Traditional events, including tug-of-war, stick pushing and crossbow shooting, were also held in areas such as Chư Sê, Bắc Quy Nhơn and Ia Krái.
The approach allowed localities to make use of existing strengths while giving regular athletes opportunities to compete and gain experience. Organizers also said the festivals helped local authorities better assess the development of sports movements, particularly among young people.
Many localities used existing facilities, arranged competition venues and mobilized additional support from businesses and residents to address infrastructure and equipment needs.
The competitions attracted officials, civil servants, members of the armed forces, youth union members, students, workers and other residents, broadening participation in grassroots sports.
At the provincial festival, the program combined popular sports such as pickleball, football and volleyball with traditional events including crossbow shooting, stick pushing, tug-of-war and stilt racing.
The results showed different approaches to sports investment among localities.
Pleiku Ward emerged as the leading delegation among wards and sectors after competing in 14 of the 22 events. It won 101 medals, comprising 33 gold, 35 silver and 33 bronze.
The Department of Education and Training finished second with 23 gold, nine silver and 15 bronze medals.
Pleiku's results were supported by strong performances across several sports. Taekwondo contributed 10 gold medals, while vovinam added five, stilt racing four and badminton three. The delegation also collected medals in stick pushing, pickleball, cross-country running and swimming.
In the commune category, Tuy Phước adopted a more concentrated approach, competing in six of the 21 events: men's volleyball, traditional martial arts, swimming, kickboxing, karate and boxing.
The delegation won 14 gold, 14 silver and 19 bronze medals, placing it at the top of the commune group.
Traditional martial arts was a major contributor, producing 21 medals, including five gold, seven silver and nine bronze.
The results reflected how some localities concentrated resources on sports in which they had established strengths rather than competing across a broader range of disciplines.
According to the organizing committee, many delegations prepared seriously for the provincial festival, producing strong competition across numerous events.
Several young athletes also posted notable results, providing the sports sector with a pool of potential talent for further monitoring, selection and development in high-performance sports.
Nguyễn Văn Ý said the technical quality of the festival had improved, with intense competition in many events and narrow differences in results among delegations.
The festival, he said, also helped expand participation in sports, create opportunities to identify new talent and develop the next generation of athletes, providing momentum for Gia Lai's sports sector during the 2026-2030 period and beyond.