Among the approximately 600 athletes participating in the Cycling for Peace Festival held in Quang Tri in 2024, there are 36 athletes from Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. The foreign athletes came to Quang Tri with all their passion, love for sports and a heart for peace; with the desire to meet, exchange and connect cross-border friendship. These special "messengers" also spread many positive messages, when returning home, they will spread widely the aspiration to join hands to build a peaceful world!
Pakse Bike Coffee Club (Laos) participated in the Cycling for Peace Festival in Quang Tri with 13 members - Photo: M.Đ
Deeply feel the value of peace
The Cycling for Peace Festival is the first activity in a series of activities for the 2024 Peace Festival. Like many people present here, Mr. Khammanh Keovilaysack, Head of the Pakse Bike Coffee Sports Cycling Club (Laos) was moved to witness the sacred moment with the heroic Vietnamese national anthem playing, the red flag with yellow star was raised to the top of the Hien Luong flagpole.
Keovilaysack was born and raised in Laos but his parents are of Vietnamese origin. Living in Laos and having Vietnamese blood, Khammanh Keovilaysack was extremely moved and happy when he first directly participated in the flag-raising ceremony on the sacred land of Quang Tri.
He said: “I and 13 members of the Pakse Bike Coffee Club registered to participate in the Cycling for Peace Festival in Quang Tri with the aim of satisfying our love for sports and meeting people with the same passion; more than that, we can participate in meaningful activities. I myself was born during the war, so I always love peace.
Now, the club members and I have a clearer and more vivid sense of the value of peace when the bicycles roll over the historic Hien Luong Bridge, before the warm welcome of the leaders of Quang Tri province. The Organizing Committee of the Cycling for Peace Festival has had many symbolic activities such as: releasing doves, balloons, writing names on the festival flag to send to the National Commission for UNESCO.
We were able to join the parade to offer incense to the heroic martyrs at Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery who fought and sacrificed for the independence and freedom of Vietnam.
Through these activities, I have understood more clearly that from the losses and pain caused by war, more than anyone else, the Vietnamese people really want to live in peace and condemn war, always praying for a peaceful, stable and developed world. After the Cycling for Peace Festival, each of us will do well in our role as a "peace messenger" to join hands to spread the aspiration and build that message."
The peaceful and poetic scenery on the route from Hien Luong Bridge, Ben Hai River to Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery, then into Dong Ha City with the destination being Fidel Park; along with the bright smiles, greetings, and enthusiastic cheers from the people for the parade throughout the 42 km journey is a vivid proof of peace and friendliness on the land of Quang Tri.
Mr. Suthi Prajacrattancun, a member of the Mukdahan Sports Cycling Club (Thailand) happily said: “During the days in Quang Tri to participate in the Cycling for Peace Festival, I visited places such as: Quang Tri Ancient Citadel, Flower Wharf on the South Bank of Thach Han River...
Quang Tri, which was devastated by the war, has now revived strongly. Returning to the country, I will strive to participate in many meaningful activities to spread the good values of peace and pray for all people to have a prosperous and happy life.
Spread the word
“Join hands to build a peaceful world! Quang Tri for peace! World peace!” were the shouts that echoed at Fidel Park after the athletes and delegates signed and wrote messages on the 54-square-meter flag (representing the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam) symbol of the festival. The flag will be sent to the National Commission for UNESCO as a message from peace-loving people.
According to the expectations of the Organizing Committee, each participant of the Cycling for Peace Festival will be a “messenger for peace”. Moreover, the foreign athletes present at this festival will spread many other messages about the will and determination to rise up in life.
Among the athletes from Laos, Vatthana Siphommalangkoun of Pakse Bike Coffee Club is a disabled athlete. More specifically, with only one arm, he not only participated in the cycling parade but also directly competed in the 2024 Quang Tri Province Cycling Race “Peaceful Destination” with other athletes.
He said he came to Quang Tri to immerse himself in the exciting atmosphere of the Cycling for Peace Festival and to spread the message that people can overcome adversity to conquer their passion; at the same time, to spread the spirit and determination to rise up for people with disabilities, calling for joint efforts to build a peaceful world, so that there will no longer be scenes of people affected by war losing body parts, falling into poverty, not being able to go to school...
“I have participated in many sports cycling competitions with the desire to “inspire” people with disabilities to have the motivation to improve their health and pursue their passion. The 2024 Quang Tri Provincial Cycling Competition “Peaceful Destination” is also the occasion for me to come to Quang Tri for the first time.
By participating in the activities of the Cycling for Peace Festival, I hope my story will inspire people with disabilities, especially those with physical disabilities due to the consequences of war, to always be confident, choose a sport to practice and live a meaningful life," said Vatthana Siphommalangkoun.
The presence of 36 foreign athletes is also the most wonderful thing to prove that Quang Tri is a destination of gratitude, an ideal gathering place for international friends who love peace. This is also an opportunity to meet, share the passion for sports, consolidate and continue to build the solidarity and friendship of the four directions of the athlete delegations.
Mr. Surat Kongkiatkamon, Head of Mukdahan Sports Cycling Club (Thailand) shared: “We are very happy to come to Quang Tri to compete and meet many delegations of athletes from provinces and cities of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
Through the wonderful experiences in Quang Tri, I will return to tell all the native Thai people and Thai people of Vietnamese origin about Vietnam, the generous, friendly and peace-loving people of Quang Tri. From there, I will convey to them actions to join hands to build a peaceful world. I believe that Quang Tri province will strongly spread messages for peace throughout the world."
Minh Duc
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/nhung-su-gia-dac-biet-186705.htm
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