The festival gathered approximately 4,000 athletes competing in 21 sports, aiming to create new momentum for the local physical training and sports movement.

Speaking at the Opening Ceremony, Mr. Le Van Phuoc, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of An Giang Province and Head of the Organizing Committee of the Festival, said that the 1st An Giang Provincial Sports Festival 2026 is a major sports event of the province, creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere to celebrate the 138th anniversary of the birth of President Ton Duc Thang (August 20, 1888 - August 20, 2026); the 81st anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19, 1945 - August 19, 2026); and the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2026).

The Festival also contributes to the continued implementation of the campaign "All people practice physical training following the great example of Uncle Hồ", in association with the movement "All people unite to build a cultural life”.

The highlight of the program was the parade to demonstrate strength with 1,457 participants. The contingents carrying the traditional torch, the National Flag, a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh, the Festival Flag, and the Red Flag, along with forces from the Public Security, Military, universities, colleges, and athlete delegations created a lively and solemn atmosphere for the province's major sports festival.

Earlier that afternoon, the fire-lighting and traditional torch relay ceremony was held at the An Giang Provincial Martyrs and Meritorious People Memorial Temple on Vo Truong Toan Street, Rach Gia Ward. The torch relay delegation consisted of 45 athletes, including one athlete carrying the main torch and 44 athletes carrying smaller torches. The flame was carried along the streets of Rach Gia ward, before arriving at the Provincial Stadium to perform the torch-lighting ceremony for the festival.

According to Mr. Tran Nguyen Ba, Deputy Director of the Department and Deputy Head of the Organizing Committee of the Festival, athletes will compete in 21 sports with 371 sets of medals.

The competition events include familiar sports such as athletics, swimming, football, volleyball, badminton, tennis, chess, and Chinese chess, along with martial arts such as boxing, karate, pencak silat, Taekwondo, Vovinam, and traditional martial arts. In addition, there are cycling, bodybuilding, tug of war, stick pushing, cross-country running, and pickleball.

The festival has 30 athlete delegations, including 3 special zones, 24 inter-commune clusters based on the former districts, towns and cities, along with delegations from the Provincial Public Security, the Provincial Military Command and the armed forces, departments, sectors, universities, colleges and vocational schools. Of these, the 24 inter-commune clusters are assigned to proactively select athletes, build teams, and ensure participation in at least 14 out of the 21 competition events.

More than just a mass sports festival, the Festival is also an occasion to review the development of sports in An Giang over the past years. During the 2021-2025 period, the province's high-performance sports teams participated in 661 tournaments and won 3,334 medals, including 991 gold medals, 1,002 silver medals, and 1,341 bronze medals.

Notably, at the SEA Games, An Giang sports contributed 7 coaches and 36 athletes, winning a total of 29 medals, including 13 gold medals, 11 silver medals, and 5 bronze medals. These figures show that the province's high-performance sports have not only maintained their position but have also made significant progress in both quality and quantity.

News by Nhu Ngoc