Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice- senior General Soe Win delivers address at opening ceremony of Inter-University Sports Competition (2023-2024) of Ministry of Education
Nay Pyi Taw January 9
The opening ceremony of Inter-University Sports Competition (2023-2024 academic years) of the Ministry of Education was held at Wunna Theikdi Stadium (B) in Nay Pyi Taw this afternoon and Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win delivered an address at the ceremony.
Also present were members of the SAC, union ministers, the chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council, senior military officers, deputy ministers, permanent secretaries, directors-general, officials, leaders of sports teams for universities and degree colleges, managers and coaches and athletes.
First, the Vice-Senior General delivered an address, saying sports contribute to physical and mental health and fitness of youths and amount to seeds of development for five kinds of strengths. By playing sports, university students can enjoy many benefits including health and fitness, relaxation, stress reduction, being active, ability to solve problems, systematic thinking, application of wits and team spirit. Moreover, sports can enhance friendly relations and improve thinking skills.
Therefore, integrating education and sports can contribute to speedy development of five strengths of university students.
The Inter-University Sports Competition (2023-2024 academic years) of the Ministry of Education features five sports including soccer, volleyball, track and field, speak takraw and table tennis. Among them soccer and volleyball match were organized in eight zones such as Yangon Zone, Dagon Zone, Pathein Zone, Mawlamyine Zone, Mandalay Zone, Magway Zone, Taunggyi Zone, and Myitkyina Zone and players were selected. Then, teams representing each zone were formed and they are now participating in the central level matches. Other sports competitions will be organized as inter-university events.
Track and field sports known as athletics originated from Greeks and developed into sports of today in about the 10th Century BC. Greeks were famous for their physical and intellectual strength at that time. Greeks invented sports techniques and eventually succeeded in organizing Olympics games in the world.
Myanmar also had glorious histories of university sports activities. Rangoon College Football Team emerged with success in 1917. In the soccer world the Myanmar University Football Team was particularly famous in 1932 and it won the championship cup at the BAA stadium known as Aung San Stadium today in the same year.
In 1933, it won the championship cup and the Walter Locke knock-out shield. It managed to grab the championship cup in 1934 as it won the cup for three consecutive years. It won the Walter Locke shield for two consecutive years. Since then, its victories were famous not only at the BAA stadium but also in the entire country with the football chant "Versity, Versity, Rah Rah."
It won knock-out shields and opening season shields of Myanmar Football federation for three consecutive years in 1965, 1966 and 1967. The role of sports competitions in Yangon University was very important. During the prewar period, sport competitions were organized for dormitories and majors. Students participated in day-arts teams and day-science teams in competitions for dormitories.
In addition to sports competitions for dormitories, sports competitions for majors were introduced in 1964 based on academic years. Outstanding athletes from competitions in the university were selected as university athletes and sent to inter-university competitions.
In addition to sport competitions, short-term and long-term sports training courses were also conducted in Yangon University every year.
The victories achieved by Rangoon University Football Team for three consecutive years must be attributed to the efforts, training and outstanding skills of football players, who could perform well not only as individuals but also as a team and underwent training by fully observing the instructions of coaches.
From December 6 to 13, 1969, the fifth Southeast Asian Peninsular Games was successfully held in Yangon. More university athletes participated in the Myanmar sports team, and the host, Myanmar, won 57 gold medals, 46 silver medals and 43 bronze medals and was the first national champion. Among the medals won, 6 gold medals, 4 silver medals and 5 bronze medals were won by university athletes. Among the winning medals, 6 gold medals, 4 silver medals and 5 bronze medals were won by university students.
In winning 6 gold medals, swimming champion Nanda Kyaw Swar alone won 3 gold medals, bringing greater honor to the university and students.
Similarly, it was recorded that university student Maung Maung Lay was able to win the gold medal in tennis, which had never been won by Myanmar throughout the history of the peninsula tournament. Today, Myanmar has actively participated in the ASEAN University Games (AUG) and has achieved great success.
In the 20th ASEAN University Games held in Thailand in 2022, 33 athletes competed in 4 sports namely football, archery, speak takraw and wushu, winning 2 gold medals, 2 silver medals and 2 bronze medals. The State has deservedly honored the university athletes who won such a victory. The State is providing necessary support for the emergence of such outstanding university sport athletes.
As the Ministry of Education is carrying out activities to upgrade school stadiums for the promotion of the five strengths of young people and the sports sector, it is also increasing the opportunities to combine education and sports. Good sports will lead to good education, and good education will lead to the development of the country.
Therefore, the sports sector must be promoted in combination with education in order to produce healthy, talented, disciplined people.
In the basic education sector, there are physical training teachers in respective regions and states. The trainings for those teachers were conducted in cooperation with the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs. In the higher education sector also, the B. Sc (Sports) degree course has been opened at Dagon University and Yadanabon University, and is being taught jointly with the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs. In addition, sports officials and sports coaches have been appointed in universities and degree colleges and they are continuously giving training.
As good health is a blessing in life, all the young students are to urged to do sports and work hard to become good sons and daughters who will be able to serve the national interests with long life and strength. As they are university student athletes, they should be disciplined when participating in sports competitions. While competing with full sportsmanship and effort, may they be able to maintain and promote the honor of the nation with patriotism.
Through hard work, may they also win medals, become national team athletes and achieve success, bringing back honor to the university sports sector.
Then, the Vice-Senior General formally opened the competition.
After that, the commemorative flag was carried and hoisted by the sports athletes reciting the sports oath.
Next, the Vice-Senior General and party cordially greeted the managers/coaches and athletes of the competing teams who will compete in the inter-university sports competition.
Then, the Vice-Senior General along with those who attended the ceremony watched the exercise dance, physical fitness dance and other dances performed by university students.
The sports competition will be held from January 9 to 18 at Wunna Theikdi Stadium in Nay Pyi Taw. It will be held in gymnasiums and training football fields. More than 1,160 managers, coaches and athletes will participate in the competition.