VietNam Culture: Games

Showing posts with label Games. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

VN vies for berths at world tourney

Beeline to victory: Southeast Asian Games gold medallist Truong Thanh Hang needs to maintain her current form in the women's 800m and 1,500m to grab a berth in the World Athletics Championship in South Korea in August. — VNA/VNS File Photo

HA NOI — Vietnamese track and fields athletes have a chance to take part in the 13th World Athletics Championship in South Korea, according to standards just released by the International Association of Athletics Federation.

A and B standards are to be applied to participants. Vietnamese seeking opportunities are: women's 100m and 200m Vu Thi Huong, 800m and 1,500m Truong Thanh Hang, men's decathlon Vu Van Huyen.

Huong has to run 100m in 11.38sec and the 200m in 23.30, and Hang must run 800m in 2:01.30 and 1500 in 4:08.90, both to meet the B standard.

Huong last December broke the national record in the National Sport Games' 200m event with similar result to the standard while her seasonal best in the 100m was 11.34 at the 25th SEA Games' 100m in Laos in 2009.

Da Nang-based Hang has the chance run in South Korea if she can maintain the times she ran at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou last November.

Hang earned two silver medals in her two events with times of 2:00.91 and 4:08.22, respectively. Both are better than the B standard.

The runners' tasks now are to maintain their results.

The Vietnamese are also likely to qualify for the London Olympics next year because the standards applied for that even are lower than that of the world competition in South Korea.

Hang and Huong will receive intensive support this year. Huong will take part in a long-term training course in Germany while Hang will train in China or Bhutan.

They will return home ahead of the Asian Athletics Championship in Kobe, Japan, on July 7-10. If they qualify they will compete in the world championship from August 27 to September 4 in Daegu City.

Meanwhile, "Iron" man Huyen has to achieve 8,000 points to reach the B standard.

Huyen surprised in Guangzhou where he won a bronze medal with 7,755 points. — VNS

Friday, February 18, 2011

Female football chopped from Games programme

HA NOI – Female football will not be played at the 26th South East Asian Games in Indonesia following a decision by the Indonesia organising committee, a major blow to the Viet Nam team which is the defending champion.

Viet Nam Olympic Committee general secretary Hoang Vinh Giang said it would be difficult to change the committee's decision.

Indonesia was not good at female football so the Games committee was not eager for this event, he said.

"The Games committee's reason is that they don't have enough football grounds," Giang said. "To organise the female football event, they need two Asian Football Confederation standard grounds, not including training grounds.

"The Viet Nam committee will give its opinion on this problem at the meeting with Indonesia to discuss competition programmes. We will request they hold female football. But in my experience, there is little chance to modify the Games committee's determination. They have the right to add or reject events."

Meanwhile, the national female football team, the Games defending champions, convened at the National Sports Training Centre in Ha Noi yesterday in preparation for tournaments this year, coached by Chinese Chen Yun Fat. They include the upcoming SEA Games and the Olympic London 2012 qualifying rounds.

Viet Nam Football Federation vice chairman Nguyen Lan Trung said the federation was waiting for the official announcement from the Games committee before adjusting the team's training schedule.

"Meanwhile, the federation would ask the Viet Nam Olympic Committee and football federations in the region to petition the Games committee to include female football in the programme for the 26th SEA Games," Trung said. – VNS

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Defending Vietnam team excluded from 2011 SEA Games

Vietnamese women celebrate after winning the women's football event at the 2009 SEA Games in Laos

Indonesia, host of the 2011 Southeast Asian Games, just announced 48 sports and around 550 events to be organized at the biennial tournament, which may stir up comments from member nations as the host dropped some favorite sports.

Members of the ten-nation SEA Games Federation Council including Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam fear the drop of several regular sports like Billiards & Snooker and women's football could affect the future standard of the games.

Vietnam are now the champions in women’s football.

Other sports severely affected include cycling, rhythmic gymnastics, petanque, sailing, shooting and table tennis as Indonesia SEA Games Organizing Committee (Inasoc) proposed to shorten many events.

Traditionally, the standard program of cycling in the past SEA Games comprised around 12 to 15 events, but Indonesia wants to stage only seven, comprising three for men and four for women.

Shooting is cut down from 36 as in the last edition in 2009 in Laos to just nine, while rhythmic gymnastics has only one event compared with five to six previously.

Though the host has the privilege to choose sports, Indonesia must also consider the sentiments of other participating countries, Olympic Council of Malaysia honorary secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi was quoted as saying today.

We'll try to negotiate with the host during the coming SEA Games Federation Council meeting in Bali on Feb 23-24, he added.

Besides dropping some favorite sports, the host has added new sports namely bridge, paragliding, roller sports, shorinji kempo and wall climbing.

It is said that the cut of the sports is rooted from Inasoc wanting to become overall champions at the games. Traditionally, Indonesian athletes were not strong at them.

Female football chopped from Games

Victory denied: The Vietnamese women's team celebrates after winning the Southeast Asian Games trophy in the Philippines in 2005. Female football won't be included in the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia later this year. — VNA/VNS Photo Ngoc Truong

HA NOI — Female football will not be played at the 26th South east Asian Games in Indonesia following a decision by the Indonesia organising committee, a major blow to the Viet Nam team which is the defending champion.

Viet Nam Olympic Committee vice chairman and general secretary Hoang Vinh Giang said it would be difficult to change the committee's decision.

"Indonesia was not good at female football so the Games committee was not eager for this event," he said.

Meanwhile, the national female football team, the Games defending champions, convened at the National Sports Centre in Ha Noi yesterday in preparation for tournaments this year, coached by Chinese Chen Yun Fat. They include the upcoming SEA Games and the Olympic London 2012 qualifying rounds.

Viet Nam Football Federation vice chairman Nguyen Lan Trung said the federation was waiting for the official announcement from the Games committee before adjusting the team's training schedule.

26th SEA Games not to have female football

Female football will not be played at the 26th South East Asian Games
in Indonesia following a decision by the Indonesia organising
committee, a major blow to the Vietnam team which is the defending
champion.

Vietnam Olympic Committee general secretary Hoang Vinh Giang said it would be difficult to change the committee's decision.

Indonesia is not good at female football so the Games committee is not eager for this event, he said.

"The
Games committee's reason is that they don't have enough football
grounds," Giang said. "To organise the female football event, they need
two Asian Football Confederation standard grounds, not including
training grounds.

"The Vietnam committee will give its opinion on
this problem at the meeting with Indonesia to discuss competition
programmes. We will request they hold female football. But in my
experience, there is little chance to modify the Games committee's
determination. They have the right to add or reject events."

Meanwhile,
the national female football team, the Games defending champions,
convened at the National Sports Training Centre in Hanoi on Feb. 14 in
preparation for tournaments this year, coached by Chinese Chen Yun Fat.
They include the upcoming SEA Games and the Olympic London 2012
qualifying rounds.

Vietnam Football Federation vice chairman
Nguyen Lan Trung said the federation was waiting for the official
announcement from the Games committee before adjusting the team's
training schedule.

"Meanwhile, the federation would ask the
Vietnam Olympic Committee and football federations in the region to
petition the Games committee to include female football in the programme
for the 26th SEA Games," ./.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Sprinters set their sights on London

Yet to peak: Sprinter Vu Thi Huong is looking for a berth at the London Olympic Games. The 24-year-old has to clock a time of 11.38sec in the 100m at the World Championships to qualify for London . — VNA/VNS Photo Quoc Khanh

HA NOI — Sprinter Vu Thi Huong will enrol at a six-month training course in Germany to prepare for the World Athletics Championship in Deagu, South Korea this August.

Meanwhile, middle-distance runner Truong Thanh Hang will train in Bhutan after Tet before she heads off for additional training in Kunming, China.

The two runners have set their sights on earning a berth at the London Olympics in 2012.

Huong, 24, who won a silver medal in 200m and a bronze in the 100m at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, last year, set a national record in the 200m during the National Sport Games in Da Nang last December after she crossed the finish line at 23.30 seconds.

The record is congruent with the Olympics automatic berth criteria for the women's 200m for the London Games.

The 24-year-old has to clock a time of 11.38sec in the 100m at the World Championship if she wants to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.

In 2007, Huong finished the 100m with a time of 11.33 seconds, a personal best, at the Asian Athletic Championships.

She was also the first Vietnamese female runner to win a gold medal at the SEA Games in the 100m race in the Philippines in 2005.

Three years ago, Huong competed at the Beijing Olympics but was disqualified during the quarter-final.

HCM City-born Truong Thanh Hang, who won two Asian Games silver medals in the 1,500 and 800, needs to sustain her best time of 2:00.91 in the 800 to earn a spot at the London Games. — VNS

Friday, January 28, 2011

Sprinters to eye on London Olympics

HA NOI – Sprinter Vu Thi Huong will enrol at a six-month training course in Germany to prepare for the World Athletics Championship in Deagu, South Korea this August.

Meanwhile, middle-distance runner Truong Thanh Hang will train in Bhutan after Tet before he heads off for additional training in Kunming, China.

The two runners have set their sights on earning a berth at the London Olympics in 2012.

The record is congruent with the Olympics automatic berth criteria for the women's 200m for the London Games.

The 24-year-old has to clock a time of 11.38sec in the 100m at the World Championship if she wants to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.

In 2007, Huong finished the 100m with a time of 11.33 seconds, a personal best, at the Asian Athletic Championships.

She was also the first Vietnamese female runner to win a gold medal at the SEA Games in the 100m race in the Philippines in 2005.

Three years ago, Huong competed at the Beijing Olympics but was disqualified during the quarter-final.

HCM City-born Truong Thanh Hang, who won two Asian Games silver medals in the 1,500m and 800m, needs to sustain her best time of 2:00.91 in the 800m to earn a spot at the London Games. – VNS

Martial artist gets cash prize boost

Karate star Le Bich Phuong has received a cash prize of VND100 million (US$5,000) from Viet Nam Football Media JSC for her gold medal at the Asian Games last month.

She won Viet Nam's only gold medal at Asia's biggest sporting event, at which the 260-member squad bagged a modest haul of one gold, 17 silver and 15 bronze medals.

The 19-year-old athlete was also awarded VND100 million ($5,000) by cable TV provider Audio Vision Global (AVG), and VND30 million ($1,500) by the National Sports Administration for her performance at the Guangzhou Asian Games last December.

She is expected to receive a further VND45 million ($2,200) from the National Sports Administration at a ceremony this week.

The National Sports Administration also awarded prizes to the other 32 athletes who won medals at the Games, before Tet (Lunar New Year) begins next Wednesday.

Viet Nam seeks top-three ranking at regional games

The Viet Nam sports delegation aims to finish in the top three at the 26th Southeast Asia Games in Indonesia this year.

According to reports at the Viet Nam National Administration of Exercises and Sports' end-year meeting, Viet Nam plans to compete in 28 of 41 sports in the Games at Palembang and the capital of Jakarta in November.

The events include track and field, swimming, diving, archery, shooting, badminton, billiards, canoeing/kayak, cycling, boxing, pentaque, fencing, football, volleyball, table tennis, chess, rowing, Vovinam, sepak takraw, pencak silat, taekwondo, judo, karatedo, tennis, weightlifting, wrestling, wushu and gymnastics.

Besides the SEA Games, the administration is also focusing on the Olympic qualifications in some major sports such as track and field.

HCM City sports facility employs new boss

The privately owned Thanh Long Sports Centre, HCM City's best known sporting facility, has a new boss.

Le Trong Tri, who takes over as chairman from Quach Thanh Lai, said he sees huge potential in the centre which has been become a regular training and stopover place for football teams from all over the country.

The Binh Chanh District-based centre will remain focused on sports and its facilities will be expanded so that it can hold international events in future, he said.

Lai will, however, remain involved with running the place, which has two football pitches, tennis and badminton courts, and a pool.

Built in 2001, it is 60 per cent owned by young seafood entrepreneur Tri. — VNS

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Top sportspeople to be honoured

Hundreds of journalists and sports aficionados cast their votes for the athletes and coaches of the year in Ha Noi, Danang and HCMC Thursday.

Track and field athletes, who excelled at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China last year, are expected to dominate this years awards for outstanding sporting achievements.

The annual awards were launched 33 years ago and have become an indispensable part of the sporting calendar.

Notable performances at the Guangzhou Games came from sprinter Vu Thi Huong, who won a bronze medal in the women's 100m and a 200m silver; Truong Thanh Hang, who won silvers in the 800 and 1,500m and bronze medal decathlete Vu Van Huyen.

Karateist Le Bich Phuong, who won Viet Nam's only gold medal to salvage Vietnamese pride in the martial arts competitions at the Games, is likely to win the poll.

Other candidates for honours include men's chess player Le Quang Liem, shooter Ha Minh Thanh and Youth Olympics weightlifting gold medallist Thach Kim Tuan.

Voters also nominated their choices for Viet Nam's best coaches and disabled athletes in yesterday's poll.

The awards are jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Viet Nam Fund for Young Talent Support and The Thao Vietnam (Vietnam Sports) newspaper.

The final results will be officially announced this week, while a gala night to honour athletes and coaches will be held in Ha Noi next month.

Top sportspeople to be honoured

Hundreds of journalists and sports aficionados cast their votes for the athletes and coaches of the year in Ha Noi, Danang and HCMC Thursday.

Track and field athletes, who excelled at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China last year, are expected to dominate this years awards for outstanding sporting achievements.

The annual awards were launched 33 years ago and have become an indispensable part of the sporting calendar.

Karateist Le Bich Phuong, who won Viet Nam's only gold medal to salvage Vietnamese pride in the martial arts competitions at the Games, is likely to win the poll.

Other candidates for honours include men's chess player Le Quang Liem, shooter Ha Minh Thanh and Youth Olympics weightlifting gold medallist Thach Kim Tuan.

Voters also nominated their choices for Viet Nam's best coaches and disabled athletes in yesterday's poll.

The final results will be officially announced this week, while a gala night to honour athletes and coaches will be held in Ha Noi next month.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Top sportspeople to be honoured

Tasting success: Karateist Le Bich Phuong bites her gold medal at the Asian Games at Guanzhou, China, last year. She is likely to dominate the poll for the best athlete of the year. — VNA/VNS Photo Quoc Khanh

HA NOI — Hundreds of journalists and sports aficionados cast their votes for the athletes and coaches of the year in Ha Noi, Da Nang and HCM City yesterday.

Track and field athletes, who excelled at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China last year, are expected to dominate this years awards for outstanding sporting achievements.

The annual awards were launched 33 years ago and have become an indispensable part of the sporting calendar.

Karateist Le Bich Phuong, who won Viet Nam's only gold medal to salvage Vietnamese pride in the martial arts competitions at the Games, is likely to win the poll.

Other candidates for honours include men's chess player Le Quang Liem, shooter Ha Minh Thanh and Youth Olympics weightlifting gold medallist Thach Kim Tuan.

Voters also nominated their choices for Viet Nam's best coaches and disabled athletes in yesterday's poll.

The awards are jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Viet Nam Fund for Young Talent Support and The Thao Viet Nam (Viet Nam Sports) newspaper.

The final results will be officially announced this week, while a gala night to honour athletes and coaches will be held in Ha Noi next month. — VNS

Thiet says goodbye with golds and record

Female weightlifter Nguyen Thi Thiet has officially retired from competition after winning three gold medals and breaking one record at the sixth National Sports Games.

Thiet, who is the only Vietnamese lifter to compete at two Olympic Games, has been suffering from a knee injury for months, that prevented her from competing at the recent Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

Having already secured the gold medal, the Hai Duong Province-born athlete set a a SEA Games record by lifting 126kg in the 63kg category.

Thiet plans to work as a coach in her native province.

Dong Tam Long An sign new coach

Dong Tam Long An have hired a new coach just days before national football tournaments are due to kick off. Marco Octavio Cerqueira is the team's fourth foreign coach in three years.

The Brazilian replaces Macerlo Javier Zuleta who worked with the club for only three months before returning home to Argentina, due to family reasons.

Cerqueira has completed his FIFA coaching certificate and also graduated from Gama Filho College in Brazil with a physical training qualification. He first worked in beach football and led his national team to 10 World Championships before winning two European titles with Portugal and Belgium.

Cerqueira moved to football in 1995 and has worked with teams from Portugal, Brazil, China and Iran before coming to Viet Nam.

The coach said he agreed with the target of a top three finish set by the club when he signed the contract.

Minh loses first game at Super Series Finals

Viet Nam's Nguyen Tien Minh lost his first match in Group A at the VICTOR-BWF's 2010 Super Series Finals yesterday.

Minh was defeated 12-21, 17-21 by the world and tournament No 1 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia yesterday in Chinese Taipei's Hsinchuang Gymnasium.

In the other Group A match, Dane Peter Gade beat his fellow countryman Jan Jorgensen 21-11, 18-21, 21-16.

It was Minh's sixth consecutive lost to Lee in international competitions, with his only win coming two years ago at the Singapore Open.

Minh will next play Gade while Lee will face Jorgensen.

The top two players from each group will advance to the semi-finals and the winner of the elite eight man tournament will take home US$40,000. — VNS

Monday, December 27, 2010

Sibling walkers set Sports Games records

Simply the best: The opening ceremony of the National Sports Games in Da Nang. — VNA/VNS Photos Ngoc Truong

Walk on by : Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuc finishes first in the 20km walk

HA NOI — Walker Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuc from Da Nang finished first in the women's 20km walk at the sixth National Sport Games, which kicked off in Da Nang city on Saturday.

She clocked a one hour 40 minute finish to win a gold medal and a new national record, beating Phan Thi Bich Ha from Vinh Phuc, who came in second, and Lai Thi Hoa of Thai Binh, who finished third.

Her younger brother Nguyen Thanh Ngung then added another gold and set up a new record of 1:31.32 in the men's division.

Marathoner Nguyen Dang Duc Bao of Khanh Hoa finished first in the men's marathon with time in 2:31.32, while Pham Thi Hien from Thai Binh came first in the women's event at 2:53.02.

With 29 sports already finished in 20 localities nationwide, Ha Noi continued to dominate the medal tally in the ongoing National Sports Games by claiming top position with 153 golds, 112 silvers and 113 bronzes.

HCM City trailed with 102 golds, 88 silvers and 114 bronzes, while the Military team ranked third with 56 gold, 71 silver and 64 bronze medals.

The Sports Games, which are organised every four years, will close on Friday. — VNS

Friday, December 24, 2010

Games draw nation's elite

Pot luck: Nguyen Hoai Nam of Ha Noi takes a shot in the men's singles at the National Sports Games' billiards and snooker event at Da Nang's Nguyen Tri Phuong Gymnasium. — VNA/VNS Photo Van Son

HA NOI — The sixth National Sport Games will officially kick off tomorrow in the central city of Da Nang with a record 3,300 participants.

The festival, which is organised every four years, will see athletes competing in 11 sports.

Among the sports, tracks and field events have attracted the highest number of entries, featuring 452 contestants from 54 delegations. The chess events will feature 200 contestants from 40 teams.

The Games, which are the most important domestic sporting event of the year, will feature the cream of Vietnamese athletic talent, with a host of Asian and Southeast Asian champions and record holders. Top athletes include Truong Thanh Hang, Vu Thi Huong, Vu Van Huyen in track and field; Nguyen Tien Minh in badminton; and Le Quang Liem and Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son in chess.

Ha Noi currently lead the medal tally with 147 golds, 103 silvers and 105 bronzes. HCM City and the Military team stand second and third, respectively. Sixty four of the 66 delegations taking part have taken medals.

The opening ceremony will be held at the city's Chi Lang Stadium with the participation of four foreign visitors from China, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

The closing ceremony will be on December 31. — VNS

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Beach games open in Oman

HA NOI – The second Asian Beach Games started in Oman this morning with more than 2,000 athletes and coaches from 45 countries and territories participating.

The country's first multi-sport continental sports extravaganza in the capital, Muscat, is part of its 40th National Day celebrations.

International Olympic Committee, IOC, Chairman Jacques Rogge and Olympic Council Asia, OCA, Chairman Shaikh Ahmed al Fahad al Sabah were among the dignitaries, including sports men and women, who attended the opening in the purpose-built Al Musannah Sports City.

"It's the first Asian Beach Games held in Oman – the second overall – and the first major games in which Oman is involved," said IOC member and OCA deputy chairman Habib Macki.

But these games were also different because of the variety of sports that had been added to volleyball, football and basketball, he said.

Games such as woodball, beach kabaddi and sepak takraw would be introduced to Oman and in the region.

The athletes will compete in 12 beach sports.

HCM City Sports and Physical Training College principle Lam Quang Thanh leads the 14-strong Viet Nam team which will contest seven events.

The team pocketed two gold, five silver and three bronze medals and was ranked eighth of 42 at the last games has set a target of one to two gold medals this time.

Success will put them in the top ten.

Bodybuilders Pham Van Mach and Nguyen Van Lam are favoured to meet the challenge.

World champion Mach won silver in the men's 55kg class last Games and Lam is defending men's 65kg champion.

The women's sepak takraw team, which will compete in a round-robin format of five teams including tough Thailand, is also a chance.

The games end on Thursday, December 16.

The biannual Games were first held in Bali, Indonesia in October 2008 and Haiyang, China, will host the next. – VNS

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Thais looking to dominate Indonesians again

Thailand coach Bryan Robson

Photo: AFF

Thailand coach Bryan Robson is hopeful that his team can maintain their good record against Indonesia at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium when the two sides clash in their final Group A game on Tuesday evening.

The Thais have come out on top in both previous AFF Suzuki Cup meetings against the home side in Jakarta. They famously took the 2002 title by downing the hosts on penalties in the final and also won 1-0 in the first leg of the semifinals two years ago.

With Thailand desperately needing a victory to guarantee their progression to the last four after drawing against Laos and Malaysia, Robson is hoping that luck will continue to shine on his side at the often hostile venue.

"I hope that it is a lucky stadium for us because sometimes things like that can work in your favour when the players believe in that as well," said the Englishman.

"But the most important thing for me is for my players to believe in themselves that they have the confidence to go out tomorrow and believe that they can win the game because I think we have the ability to achieve that.

"My players are used to playing in big games. They have been to big stadiums with passionate away fans so I don't have any fears about them being able to handle a big atmosphere at the stadium.

"And sometimes the better players respond to a great atmosphere. In the first two games, it's been quite quiet but maybe in this next game, my big players will rise to the challenge and enjoy the atmosphere in the stadium."

Indonesia may have already booked top spot in the group with two wins in as many games, but Robson dos not anticipate that it will make things any easier for his players.

"With Indonesia having qualified and finishing top of the group, they've got the job done and I suppose that the coach now can look to freshen things up for the semifinals and protect the players who are injured or on yellow cards.

On his part, Robson has pledged to make changes to his side that drew 0-0 with Malaysia on Saturday.

"We have been showing a bit of tiredness towards the end of both games so I'm looking to make some changes – not too many – tomorrow to freshen the team up again.

"Some players are playing their fourth games in nine days since last Sunday. It's very difficult to get the freshness back into them after a short period of time but I do feel that we're just that little bit fresher than we were coming into the tournament and the first game."

Indonesia assistant coach Wolfgang Pikal insisted that his side will not be taking Thailand any more lightly than they normally would although he did indicate that there would be changes to the team.

Said the Austrian: "The main thing for us is that we're trying to help the players to recover after the last two games. We have two players injured – Hamka Hamzah and Yesaya Desnam – and there is a possibility that we will rotate some of the players for the next game because some of them have yellow cards (skipper Firman Utina and Ahmad Bustomi) and we don't want to take a risk.

"But we are still hoping for a good game and to win against Thailand. We are not here for holidays and our big motivation is that we want to get ready for the start of the semifinals. We also have the responsibility to our fans and the Indonesian people to try to win the match.

"We have a great respect for Thailand. They are a very good team and our history shows that Indonesia have not won many important matches against them. They are under a lot of pressure because this is their last chance to go to the semifinals and we know that are going to play offensively and try to win the match."

Friday, November 26, 2010

Nation claims more silvers at Asian Games

Vietnam earned two more silver medals at the Asian Games on the 12th
day of the competition in Guangzhou, China on Nov. 24.

Defending champion Vu Thi Nguyet Anh failed to keep her karate title in
the women's under-50kg class after losing 0-2 to host rival Li Hong in
the final clash.

Anh met no difficulty on her way to the
final as she dominated three rivals from Iran , Chinese Taipei and the
Republic of Korea . However Anh, who recently recovered from an
injury, was unable to surpass Li.

Valentina Velena of India and Yasina Torrattanawathana of Thailand each walked away with bronze.

Another Vietnamese defending champion lost their crown on Nov. 24 in
the sepak takraw regu final after a 15-21, 21-14, 11-15 defeat to
Thailand , which is known to have the world's strongest competitors.

Sepak takraw was one of Vietnam 's highest hopes for Asian Games
gold, but as with several other sports, they failed to reach their
target.

Before leaving for Guangzhou , the Vietnam
sport delegation set a target of winning four to six titles to put them
within the world's top 20 strongest countries. But now that the Games
are only three days away from over and most of Vietnam 's strongest
athletes have already finished with their competitions, the target seems
far out of reach.

Track and field athletes are currently the country's best hope for top honours.

Southeast Asia's fastest woman, Vu Thi Huong, won a berth in the 200m final with a time of 24.05sec in Nov. 24's semis.

Huong's teammate Truong Thanh Hang will kick off her second final
competition later on the afternoon of Nov. 25 in the women's 800m event.

Hang, who won silver on Nov. 23 in the 1,500m, is
expected to reach even higher in the 800m as she has practised a lot for
this event.

She will face Magarita Matsko of Kazakhstan , Tintu Lukka from India and Bahrain 's Isa Jamal Maryam Yusuf.

On the men's side, iron man Vu Van Huyen on Nov. 24 took part in five
events of the men's decathlon. He earned 4,002 points to rank fourth,
some 243 points less than the leading athlete.

Women's
chess masters are another final hope for Vietnam , as they entered
the semi-final round with eight points after seven matches.

Karate artists will also share the heavy task of seeking gold in the final competition of the Games.

Six fighters are set to compete in the last three days of the event,
including two-time SEA Games champions Bui Thi Trieu in the women's
under-61kg category, Nguyen Ngoc Thanh in the men's 67kg pool and Le
Bich Phuong who won a gold in the women's 55kg class at the Indonesia
Open.

The delegation has won 14 silver, 12 bronze medals and is ranked 26th./.

Nation claims more silvers

Karate kid: Vu Thi Nguyet Anh grabbed a silver medal in the women's U-50kg division at the Asian Games yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Ngoc Truong

HA NOI — Viet Nam earned two more silver medals at the Asian Games on the 12th day of the competition in Guangzhou, China yesterday.

Defending champion Vu Thi Nguyet Anh failed to keep her karate title in the women's under-50kg class after losing 0-2 to host rival Li Hong in the final clash.

Anh met no difficulty on her way to the final as she dominated three rivals from Iran, Chinese Taipei and South Korea. However Anh, who recently recovered from an injury, was unable to surpass Li.

Valentina Velena of India and Yasina Torrattanawathana of Thailand each walked away with bronze.

Another Vietnamese defending champion lost their crown yesterday in the sepak takraw regu final after a 15-21, 21-14, 11-15 defeat to Thailand, which is known to have the world's strongest competitors.

Sepak takraw was one of Viet Nam's highest hopes for Asian Games gold, but as with several other sports, they failed to reach their target.

Before leaving for Guangzhou, the Viet Nam sport delegation set a target of winning four to six titles to put them within the world's top 20 strongest countries. But now that the Games are only three days away from over and most of Viet Nam's strongest athletes have already finished with their competitions, the target seems far out of reach.

Track and field athletes are currently the country's best hope for top honours.

Southeast Asia's fastest woman, Vu Thi Huong, won a berth in the 200m final with a time of 24.05sec in yesterday's semis.

Huong's teammate Truong Thanh Hang will kick off her second final competition later this afternoon in the women's 800m event.

Hang, who won silver on Tuesday in the 1,500m, is expected to reach even higher in the 800m as she has practised a lot for this event.

She will face Magarita Matsko of Kazakhstan, Tintu Lukka from India and Bahrain's Isa Jamal Maryam Yusuf.

On the men's side, iron man Vu Van Huyen yesterday took part in five events of the men's decathlon. He earned 4,002 points to rank fourth, some 243 points less than the leading athlete.

Women's chess masters are another final hope for Viet Nam, as they entered the semi-final round with eight points after seven matches.

Karate artists will also share the heavy task of seeking gold in the final competition of the Games.

Six fighters are set to compete in the last three days of the event, including two-time SEA Games champions Bui Thi Trieu in the women's under-61kg category, Nguyen Ngoc Thanh in the men's 67kg pool and Le Bich Phuong who won a gold in the women's 55kg class at the Indonesia Open.

The delegation has won 14 silver, 12 bronze medals and is ranked 26th. — VNS

Runner takes silver in 1,500m

Unflagging: Vietnamese runner Truong Thanh Hang takes a victory lap after claiming a siver medal for Viet Nam in the women's 1,500m at the Asian Games yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Quoc Khanh

HA NOI — Runner Truong Thanh Hang bagged a silver medal in the women's 1,500m at the Asian Games yesterday after a strong last 50m to finish between two Bahrainian athletes.

Hang clocked in at 4 minutes 9.58 seconds, 1.36sec slower than Bahraini Maryam Yusyf Jamal, who took the gold.

Bahraini Mimi Belete Gebregiorges came in at 4:10.42 to take bronze.

Hang's performance was the best by a Vietnamese runner since the country made its debut at the Asian Games 28 years ago.

The HCM City native, who won two gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games in the 800m and 1,500m last year, did her best to beat her previous time of 4:11.60 on the track yesterday.

"I'm very glad to win the silver today. It's beyond my expectation at the Asian Games because I just keep my eye on my favourite 800m," Hang said after the race.

"I did not believe myself in the 1,500m race, however, I tried to finish with my best time," the 24-year-old said.

Viet Nam also qualified for the women's 4x100m relay final, finishing their heat in 45.12sec yesterday.

On Monday, Hang's teammate, Vu Thi Huong, set a milestone for Viet Nam's athletics at ASIAD when she bagged a bronze medal in the women's 100m.

Viet Nam have so far won 12 silver and 12 bronze medals. They are currently 26th in the medals table.

Viet Nam yesterday beat China 2-0 in the second match of the women's sepak takraw regu event yesterday.

It was the defending champions' second win of the games.

The Vietnamese won the first hotly contested set 22-20. The second set went more smoothly for the visitors, who won 21-12.

The champions, who failed to defend their team title last week, will face Thailand in the final today.

Thailand recorded their second win yesterday beating Myanmar 21-9, 21-19.

The eagerly anticipated clash between Viet Nam and Thailand is likely to determine the competition's eventual winner as the two sides are considered the best in the world.

Meanwhile, Tran Van Long booked a berth in the final round of the men's single 200m canoe race after clocking a time of 43.075sec. — VNS

Asian Games Medals Tally

Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1 China	165	85	79
2 South Korea	64	55	74
3 Japan	34	64	68
4 Chinese Taipei	12	11	29
5 Iran	12	9	15
6 Hong Kong	8	14	14
7 Kazakhstan	7	14	26
8 India	7	12	20
9 Thailand	7	7	26
10 Malaysia	6	13	8
11 Uzbekistan	5	13	17
12 North Korea	5	10	15
13 Indonesia	4	8	10
14 Singapore	4	6	6
15 Bahrain	3	0	3
16 Kuwait	2	3	0
17 Philippines	2	2	8
18 Qatar	2	2	4
19 Saudi Arabia	2	1	2
20 Mongolia	1	2	6
21 Kyrgyzstan	1	2	1
22 Pakistan	1	2	1
23 Jordan	1	1	1
24 Macau	1	1	0
25 Tajikistan	1	0	2
26 Viet Nam	0	12	12
27 Myanmar	0	5	1
28 UAE	0	2	0
29 Lebanon	0	1	2
30 Afghanistan	0	1	1
31 Bangladesh	0	1	0
32 Iraq	0	0	2
32 Laos	0	0	2
34 Oman	0	0	1

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Related Articles

Friday, February 18, 2011

Related Articles

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Vietnamese women celebrate after winning the women's football event at the 2009 SEA Games in Laos

Related Articles

Related Articles

Related Articles

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Related Articles

Friday, January 28, 2011

Related Articles

Related Articles

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Related Articles

Related Articles

Friday, January 7, 2011

Related Articles

Related Articles

Monday, December 27, 2010

Related Articles

Friday, December 24, 2010

Related Articles

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Related Articles

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Thailand coach Bryan Robson

Photo: AFF

Related Articles

Friday, November 26, 2010

Related Articles

Related Articles

Related Articles