At the 33rd SEA Games, female taekwondo athlete Bac Thi Khiem completely dominated her opponent Delo Laila (Philippines) in the final of the women's under 73kg category. With a 2-0 victory, she won the 17th gold medal for the Vietnamese sports delegation and the third SEA Games gold medal of Khiem's ​​career.

Fighter Bac Thi Khiem (left)

In athletics, many outstanding athletes also achieved remarkable results. At the 2025 Southeast Asian Youth Athletics Championships for the U18 to U20 age groups, held in Indonesia, athlete Luong Thi Hong Diem showcased her powerful and accurate javelin throws, winning a prestigious gold medal. Similarly, athlete Deo Thi My demonstrated high determination by winning a silver medal in the 2,000m steeplechase.

These are three of the many ethnic minority athletes in Son La who have competed wholeheartedly for their homeland, achieving high results in domestic and international competitions, contributing to the glory of national sports and Son La sports.

To achieve these successes, the Son La Provincial Center for Culture and Sports has effectively selected athletes and provided intensive, focused training across three levels: talent development, youth development, and provincial-level training. This has gradually elevated the training level, enabling participation in national and international competitions. Furthermore, the Son La Provincial High-Performance Sports Development Project for the period 2021-2030 has made significant progress, contributing to raising the province's standing on the national and international sports map.

The project is divided into two phases.Phase I(from 2021-2025), focus on training athletes in key sports such as: Athletics, Pencak Silat, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Cycling, Badminton, Boxing, Tennis, Women's Football; new training in: Kickboxing, Weightlifting; maintain 3 to 4 talent teams regularly at the Provincial Sports Training and Competition Center.Phase II(From 2026-2030), continue training athletes in 12 sports, while developing two more sports: Wrestling and Traditional Martial Arts; train 4 to 6 talent teams and provide concentrated training for high-achieving athletes in 14 key sports.

The athletes train diligently.

Each year, the province allocates funds appropriately and focuses on the following areas: nutrition, training allowances, rewards, living expenses, competition uniforms, insurance, and support for athletes after returning to their hometowns. In addition, it invests in specialized training facilities and facilities for athletes in various sports such as boxing, Muay Thai, table tennis, and Pencak Silat, as well as rehabilitation and recreation rooms; sends athletes for training domestically; and trains coaches.

Currently, the Sports Department of the Provincial Cultural and Sports Center has 179 youth and provincial-level athletes training and competing in 12 of Son La's strongest sports disciplines: Muay Thai, Pencak Silat, Taekwondo, Women's Football, Tennis, Boxing, Kick Boxing, Badminton, Athletics, Cycling, Traditional Martial Arts, and Weightlifting. The majority of the athletes are children of ethnic minority groups in the province. The athletes receive preferential care and support, allowing them to focus on training, achieving good results, and pursuing their education. Facilities for training and competition are consistently invested in, creating the best possible conditions for the athletes.

The medals won by the athletes have affirmed their prowess and determination on the competition stage, and at the same time, demonstrate the correct and systematic training strategy, turning Son La province's aspiration to conquer the pinnacle of sports into reality.

Le Minh