Defending champion Pham Van Mach has left for India to defend his world bodybuilding title on October 30-31 in Varanasi.
Mach who competes in the men's 55kg category will face tough competition this year from much improved rivals.
His biggest opponent, Iranian Ehsan Khajavi, beat Mach to the gold medal in August's Asian Championships while in 2009, Mach easily overcame him to triumph at the world championships in the UAE.
However he said he would strive to retain his title.
The world tournament has lured more than 600 participants from 85 countries and territories.
They will take part in qualifiers on Saturday and successful contestants will go on to compete in the final on the following day.
VN rank third in student ping pong
Le Tien Dat and Nguyen Huu Duc won the only gold for Viet Nam at the Asian Table Tennis Student Championships at Hai Duong Gymnasium.
Their victory took Viet Nam to third in the medal tally behind China, who topped the table with five golds and five silvers, and Hong Kong.
It's the first time Viet Nam has hosted the student tournament, which drew 300 athletes from eight countries and territories.
Football tourney tickets go on sale
Tickets for an international football tournament, the VFF SONHA Cup, will go on sale at outlets in Ha Noi on Sunday, the organising committee has announced.
The tickets, priced between VND150,000-80,000 ($7.5-$4), will also be available at www.aleale.com.
The annual tournament has drawn four Vietnamese teams, South Korea's U-23s, Singapore and North Korea, who will battle it out in a round-robin format.
Viet Nam meet South Korea in the opening game at My Dinh National Stadium on November 2.
Colleges vie for football cup
HCM City's National University defeated Da Nang's Architecture College 3-1 in the opening match of the National Football Student Championships at Chi Lang Stadium yesterday.
The event has attracted 16 teams, who will be competing in four groups with the two qualifying for the quarter-finals.
The winners will walk away with a VND50 million (US$2,500) cash-prize. — VNS
