The success of the Festival is the result of synchronous involvement from all levels and sectors, along with the active participation of numerous athletes and residents. This affirms the role of physical training and sports in improving physical fitness and spiritual life, creating a foundation for discovering and training athletes, aiming for higher-level competitions in the future.

One of the prominent highlights from the very first days was the elaborately and methodically organized opening program. According to many spectators, the Opening Ceremony of the 12th Provincial Sports Festival created a deep visual and emotional impression, affirming its status as a major political, cultural, and sporting event. The mass performance themed “Vang mãi Điện Biên” (Echoing Điện Biên Forever) was the highlight throughout the program, featuring 900 performers and athletes across three parts: “Hào khí Điện Biên” (Điện Biên’s Heroic Spirit), “Khát vọng Điện Biên” (Điện Biên’s Aspiration), and “Điện Biên vững bước tiến vào kỷ nguyên mới” (Điện Biên Steadily Enters a New Era). The program artistically and proudly recreated the glorious historical journey of the locality.

The heroic spirit from the victory that resounded across five continents and shook the globe was awakened, followed by the resilient and indomitable spirit of past generations. That is the solid spiritual foundation for Điện Biên today to rise strongly on the journey of innovation. The success of the opening ceremony demonstrates the elaborate and serious preparation of the Organizing Panel, reflecting the stature of a locality full of developmental energy and rich in cultural identity.

This year’s Festival brought together 20 sports with a total of 143 events, reflecting the diversity and uniform development of various disciplines. While the pre-Festival competition program featuring 7 sports generated initial excitement, the official phase from May 7 to 11, which included 13 sports and 112 events, was truly a professional explosion. At the competition venues, from modern sports such as badminton, table tennis, and tennis to traditional ethnic sports imbued with identity like stick pushing, cloth ball throwing (tung còn), and crossbow shooting, the atmosphere was always fierce and vibrant. The presence of a large audience at the venues is the clearest evidence of the Festival’s appeal, simultaneously showing that the people’s demand for cultural and spiritual enjoyment is increasingly rising.

Chess athlete Nguyễn Thị Thanh, representing the Na Sang commune delegation, shared that the quality of athletes participating in this Festival has visibly increased in both quantity and skill level. Opponents possess high professional capabilities, tactical thinking, and excellent competitive skills. This is a wonderful training environment for each individual to assert themselves and contribute to the overall success of the home province.

One of the notable points at the Festival was the establishment of many new records in athletics and swimming. The athletes’ speed, endurance, and technique metrics have all improved, reflecting the systematic training investment by the participating units. This is an important basis for the provincial sports sector to continue building the next generation of athletes, aiming for regional and national tournaments.

The Department of Education and Training delegation achieved impressive results. With 62 gold medals, 36 silver medals, and 16 bronze medals, the Education and Training sector excellently won first place overall and was honored to receive the Emulation Flag and a Certificate of Merit from the Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee. This result is the culmination of the serious implementation of the physical education strategy in schools.

According to Cù Huy Hoàn, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training, this achievement is the result of continuous efforts from officials, teachers, and students. Although physical facilities at many educational institutions still have certain limitations, the spirit of overcoming difficulties and persistent training has helped the sector maintain its leading position, providing many potential seeds for the province’s high-performance sports. Discovering young talents from schools through the Festival is a strategic preparatory step to nurture athletes capable of competing at regional and national tournaments.

Alongside traditional units, the rise of highland localities like Pu Nhi commune brought a breath of fresh air. With 41 athletes participating in 9 sports, the Pu Nhi commune delegation harvested 10 medals (3 gold, 1 silver, and 6 bronze), ranking first among highland communes and 10th out of 56 delegations overall. Nguyễn Đình Minh, Vice Chairman of the Pu Nhi commune People’s Committee, affirmed that this result is a source of pride and motivation for the locality to continue focusing on developing the sports movement. They hope future organizations will continue to promote the spirit of solidarity, openness, and transparency, creating conditions for highland units to interact, learn, and narrow the sports development gap with lowland areas.

The success of the Festival saw an important role played by the Steering Panel and the Organizing Panel. The task execution process by the assisting Sub-committees was tight and effective, ensuring the set plans were met. The referee team worked with an objective and accurate spirit, while security and medical forces ensured absolute safety for athletes and spectators.

At the closing ceremony, Nguyễn Minh Phú, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee and Head of the Festival’s Steering and Organizing Panels, emphasized that the successful organization of this Festival acknowledges the immense contributions of all classes of people in the province. The new records established affirm that the level of some sports in the province has developed commensurately with their potential. The athletes’ competition results and the established records serve as a basis to evaluate the development level of certain local sports. Based on this, the province will continue to select potential athletes to participate in the 10th National Sports Festival in 2026. This is an important transitional step in building a force of high-performance athletes, associated with the goal of elevating the province’s sporting position within the national competition system.

The 12th provincial Sports Festival reflected relatively clearly the development process of the local sports movement. From organizational work and competition scale to professional quality, the Festival created a practical database to serve the planning of sports development policies in the next phase. Thereby, it contributes to consolidating the physical foundation and improving the spiritual life of the people while opening a new development direction for provincial sports in the process of integration and development.