In the last days of May, the weather in Lao Cai is extremely hot, with temperatures sometimes reaching over 40 degrees Celsius. However, we clearly felt that inside the sports stadium of Apatit Vietnam One Member Co., Ltd. - where the Lao Cai Province 2023 Senior Volleyball Tournament (held from May 19 to 21) - the atmosphere was always bustling.

Having just competed and won the final match of the men's category 56 years and older, Mr. Nguyen Duc Hiep, a member of Lao Cai Ward Club (Lao Cai city) confided: "To prepare for the tournament, we practiced very hard. As expected, we overcame our opponents and won the championship!".

At the 2023 Lao Cai Province Senior Volleyball Tournament, fans were most impressed with the Van Ban District men's volleyball team aged 56 and over, not only because of their eye-catching competition uniforms but also because of their graceful playing style and competitive spirit. The Van Ban District men's volleyball team aged 56 and over defeated a series of teams and only lost to the champion - Lao Cai Ward Club in the semi-finals and accepted the third prize.

Mr. Pham Xuan Quy, a member of the 56-year-old and older men's volleyball team of Van Ban district, said: When we received the plan to organize the Lao Cai Province 2023 Senior and Middle-aged Volleyball Tournament, we practiced more and with higher intensity. Winning third place in a playground that gathered many strong teams is also a great success for us.

Being present at the stadium to watch and cheer on the teams, especially in the final match, is enough to see the efforts and determination of the athletes. In the stands, hundreds of spectators were present to cheer enthusiastically, creating a vibrant atmosphere no different from a professional tournament.

Mr. Nguyen Hung Manh, Head of the Van Ban District Volleyball Team, said: Although travel and accommodation conditions are still difficult, Van Ban District still sent 4 teams to participate in all events of the Lao Cai Province Volleyball Tournament for Middle-aged and Seniors in 2023. Before the tournament, we organized training, provided technical guidance, and improved the athletes' physical strength. I found that this year's tournament had high professional quality, and the matches were exciting and dramatic.

The 2023 Lao Cai Province Volleyball Tournament for the Middle and Seniors has 46 teams with 415 athletes from agencies, units, and localities in the province. The tournament will compete in 4 categories: Men 40 - 55 years old; women 40 - 55 years old; men 56 years old and above; women 56 years old and above. The teams are divided into groups, compete in a round-robin to calculate points, and select the first and second teams in each group to enter the quarter-finals. According to the Organizing Committee, this is a suitable competition format, applied by many localities for grassroots sports tournaments.

Mr. Nguyen Thai Hoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports, said: Despite the harsh weather, the 2023 Lao Cai Province Volleyball Tournament for Middle-aged and Seniors still received special attention from agencies, units and localities. This shows that the volleyball training movement in the province is developing strongly. The successful tournament is a driving force for the industry to continue organizing sports tournaments in general, and volleyball in particular, in the coming time.