Vietnam student wins third prize in global letter-writing contest
Friday, October 06, 2023, 14:20 GMT+7
Dao Khuong Duy, a seventh grader in Ben Tre Province, southern Vietnam, has bagged the third prize in the Universal Postal Union (UPU)’s 52nd International Letter-Writing Competition for Young People.
He was awarded the prize in Saudi Arabia on Thursday (local time) during the closing plenary of the UPU’s fourth Extraordinary Congress.
This is the first time Ben Tre Province has seen its student win a prize in the global UPU contest.
A student from Kenya won the first prize, while another from Portugal came second.
This year’s competition was attended by students from 38 nations and territories.
During the 52nd edition, participating children aged between nine and 15 were required to write a letter explaining which superpowers they would need to achieve their mission of making roads safe for all children.
In his letter, Duy makes him become a superhero named S-24/7 to protect children around the world from traffic accidents.
A panel of judges included Agostina Massarini from the International Road Federation, Jon Cerezo Abeijon from the UN Economic Commission for Europe, and Annie Hammenrudh from the UN Department for Safety and Security.
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| Dao Khuong Duy attends the awards ceremony for the Universal Postal Union (UPU)’s 52nd International Letter-Writing Competition for Young People in Saudi Arabia, October 5, 2023. Photo: Supplied |
The panel highly valued the winners’ creativeness, knowledge, and imagination, as well as their affection and desire shown in their letters.
Hammenrudh said that she was impressed by the Vietnamese student’s letter.
At the awards ceremony, the three winners read their letters and had talks with Marjan Osvald, deputy director general of the UPU.
“I am very happy and surprised at the high prize. My family and school are pleased too,” said Duy from Huynh Tan Phat Middle School.
Duy, wearing his school uniform including a white shirt and dark pants, attended the awards ceremony.
On this occasion, the Vietnamese student presented coconut candies, which is the Mekong Delta province’s specialty, and bamboo dragonflies, a traditional craft product, to the two other winners and the organizer, in the hope of popularizing the image of Vietnam to international friends.
“Coconut candy is tasty, and bamboo dragonflies are beautiful. I hope the recipients will always remember me, a Vietnamese student, when they eat the candy and admire the toys,” Duy said before his trip to Saudi Arabia to receive the prize.
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