The Taekwondo competition was held from July 5 to 7 at Pleiku Sports Arena, attracting more than 130 athletes representing 11 communes and wards across the province. Competitors contested standard poomsae, individual men's and women's sparring, and mixed team sparring events.
Among the tournament's highlights was the participation of numerous students who took advantage of their summer holidays to compete for their hometowns.
Võ Nhật Hà Tiên, born in 2007 and currently studying English Language at Van Hien University in Ho Chi Minh City, emerged as one of the competition's top performers for the Đức Cơ commune team. After training with the squad for about one month before the tournament, she won the women's 47kg sparring title and helped her team claim another gold medal in the mixed team sparring event.
Born in Mook Đen village, Ia Dom commune, Tiên began practicing Taekwondo in third grade at the Lê Đức Taekwondo Club in Đức Cơ commune. Initially joining the sport to improve her health and learn self-defence, she quickly developed a passion for Taekwondo and was selected to the Gia Lai provincial team while in sixth grade, allowing her to compete in numerous tournaments and gain valuable experience.
After three years with the provincial team, family circumstances required her to return home to focus on her studies and support her parents, leading to a temporary break from training. She later resumed practicing at the Lê Đức Taekwondo Club to continue pursuing the sport.
"I made the most of my summer break to come back and train and compete with the team. Sparring is my specialty, so I always strive to give my best. This was my first time competing in Taekwondo at the provincial sports festival, and winning the gold medal made me extremely happy. I will continue to nurture my passion and train hard to achieve even more for my hometown," Tiên said.
Another first-time competitor at the provincial sports festival, Kpă Sơ Linh Nam, born in 2005, is studying Physical Education at Tay Nguyen University. Representing the Krông Pa Alpha Taekwondo Club in Phú Túc commune, the young Jrai athlete returned home during the summer break to prepare for the competition after learning about the event.
His preparation resulted in victory in the men's 58kg individual sparring category after overcoming a series of opponents to secure the gold medal.
"During my journey with this type of martial arts, I have faced my share of injuries. Nevertheless, my love for Taekwondo has always been the driving force helping me overcome difficulties and constantly improve myself. At university, aside from attending classes, I dedicate time each day to maintain my physical fitness and deepen my knowledge of the discipline. Being able to return and compete for my hometown and win a gold medal is a tremendous joy and source of pride for me. I am grateful to the organizers and coaches for giving me the opportunity to pursue my passion," Nam said.
Nguyễn Văn Quý, Chairman of the Gia Lai Provincial Taekwondo Federation, said the three-day competition concluded successfully and highlighted the progress of many athletes, including a large number of university and college students studying both within and outside the province.
He said the students returned to compete for their hometowns out of passion for Taekwondo, sporting spirit and a desire to contribute to their local communities. Despite studying at universities away from home, they used their summer break to represent their local teams and compete for honours on behalf of their hometowns.
