The Ngo boat racing competition on November 15 and 16 on the banks of Cai Lon River, Go Quao town, Go Quao district is part of the series of activities of the 16th Cultural, Sports and Tourism Festival of Khmer people in Kien Giang province in 2024.
This is a dramatic and exciting sporting activity that attracts a large number of people and tourists to watch and cheer.
According to the Organizing Committee, this year's Ngo boat race has 16 units with nearly 1,000 coaches and Ngo boat athletes from pagodas in districts and cities in the province participating.
The teams compete in a round robin format to determine the top two teams in each group to compete in the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals. The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals are knockout matches. If two ghe ngo teams have the same number of wins and losses, the ghe ngo team that wins the direct match will advance to the next round. In the event that three or more ghe ngo teams have the same number of wins, the Organizing Committee will draw lots to determine the rankings of the ghe ngo teams.
Mr. Nguyen Van Tam - Chairman of Vinh Phuoc B Commune People's Committee, Go Quao District said: Although busy with farming, the members participating in the competition of Soc Sau Pagoda are always present in the afternoons to train and practice to prepare for the competition.
“We are very happy and excited that the province and district are interested in and supporting the Soc Sau Pagoda Ngo Boat Club to build a new Ngo boat. From athletes to fans, everyone is excited, which is also the motivation for everyone to strive to participate and achieve higher rankings in the competitions,” Mr. Tam shared.
Mr. Danh Minh Phung, a member of the Ngo boat team of Cay Trom pagoda, Ban Thach commune, Giong Rieng district, shared his feelings of victory: “We are very happy to have won first prize this time. Ngo boat racing is not only a sports competition but also a traditional cultural feature of the Khmer people, which needs to be promoted.”
In the men's 800m distance, there were 16 teams participating in the competition. After 31 matches, the Ngo boat team of Soc Sau pagoda, Go Quao district, excellently won first prize in this event.
In the 800m mixed men's and women's race, 10 teams participated. After 18 fierce, exciting and dramatic matches, the Ngo boat team of Cay Trom pagoda, Giong Rieng district, had an excellent comeback and won first prize.
In the 1,200m Ngo boat race, 16 teams competed. After 33 matches, the Ngo boat team of Cay Trom pagoda, Giong Rieng district, continued to excel and win spectacularly.
Vice Chairman of Kien Giang Provincial People's Committee Le Trung Ho said that through the festival activities, the aim is to honor and promote the cultural values of the Khmer people in the province to the people of the whole country, so that people of all ethnic groups have the opportunity to meet, exchange, participate in cultural, artistic, physical education and sports activities; creating solidarity and cohesion between ethnic groups inside and outside the province.
Thereby, promoting the image of the local cultural festival to tourists inside and outside the province; demonstrating the attention of the Party and State to the preservation and development of the cultural values of the Khmer people in the integration trend of the country; creating conditions to promote socio-economic development, taking care of the material and spiritual life of the people better and better.
