First-ever ethnic women foolball tournament launched in Binh Lieu

The 2024 Quang Ninh province Ethnic Minority Women's Football Tournament - the first Ha Lan Cup is taking palce in Binh Lieu with the participation of 12 teams.

The tournament held on October 26-31 is part of the culture and tourism week, which will run until the end of this year, features a flower festival, a women’s football tournament, a mountain climbing contest, and a paragliding festival.

San Chi ethnic minority women playing football in their traditional outfits is certainly unique. These women are very enthusiastic in playing football. Especially on holidays, the women's soccer clubs in Huc Dong commune in particular and Binh Lieu district in general, eagerly partake in friendly tournaments, attracting a large number of people and tourists.

In a football match, each team of seven players played in a round-robin format with the top two qualifying for the finals. Instead of shorts and jerseys, the San Chi play in their traditional costumes, with the rival teams distinguished by the shades of their blue shirts.

The San Chi mainly live in northeastern provinces like Cao Bang, Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Tuyen Quang, and Thai Nguyen. In Quang Ninh, they account for around 12 percent of the population. The San Chi mainly depend on farming and animal husbandry for livelihoods. They also known for their handicrafts such as carpentry, rattan weaving and forging though these products are made for their own use.

The traditional costumes are made by hand by San Chi women. They are simple and admittedly not as colorful as those worn by the Hmong and Yao.