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

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High hopes for world champ berths

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 both South Korea and England if she can maintain the times she ran at the 16th Asian Games in Gaungzhou 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 December 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

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Gymnasts to contest Asian Champs

HCM CITY — Athletes from 10 Asian nations and Hong Kong will compete at the second Asian Aerobic Gymnastics Championships that will take place on December 16-18 at the Phan Dinh Phung Gymnasium in HCM City.

Teams from Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Iran, India, Japan, Mongolia, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka and host nations Viet Nam will have a total of 139 contestants vying for prizes in three age brackets – 12-14, 15-17 and adults.

All the events will have five categories for which prizes will be awarded: men's singles, women's singles, mixed doubles, team of three and team of six.

The Vietnamese contingent will have 28 athletes, including Southeast Asian Games gold medallists Vu Ba Dong and Tran Thi Thu Ha, led by head coach Vu Tuyet Anh. South Korea is sending the largest team with 32 athletes.

Nguyen Kim Lan, vice president of Viet Nam Gymanstics Federation, said China, Japan and South Korea are strong teams.

At the first Aerobic Gymnastics Championships in Thailand and Viet Nam had 12 athletes each. The Vietnamese athletes won one gold medals, two silvers and one bronze.

Entry to the championship is free for the public. — VNS

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Vietnamese athletes bag two more silvers at ASIAD

Vietnam's Vu van Huyen celebrates winning his men's 100m decathlon heat at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, Guangdong province on Wednesday - Photo: Reuters

HCMC – Vietnamese athletes brought home two more silvers on the 12th day of competition at the 16th Asian Games (ASIAD) in Guangzhou, China. The track and field team showed their excellent performance when Vu Thi Huong and Truong Thanh Hang qualified for the finals in the women’s 200m and 800m events respectively.

Vietnam’s last hopes for taking a gold medal at the Games failed when karate athlete Vu Thi Nguyet Anh and the women’s sepaktakraw team, who were expected to change the color of the medals for the Vietnamese sport delegation, missed the final games.

Anh, who won the gold medal at the 15th Games in Doha, Qatar four years ago, defeated Jang So Young from South Korea 2-0 in the semifinals of the women’s kumite under 50kg category. However, the Vietnamese athlete was 0-2 beaten by Li Hong from host China in the final game.

Nguyen Hoang Hiep exited from the men’s kumite under 55kg category after losing 0-2 to Hsieh Cheng Kang from Chinese Taipei earlier in the day.

The women’s sepaktakraw team comprising Nguyen Hai Thao, Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy and Luu Thi Thanh failed to defend their champions at the Games in the women’s regu event after losing to archrivals Thailand 1-2 in the finals on Wednesday. Earlier, the Vietnamese team received the bronze in the women’s team event as they suffered a 0-2 loss to Thais in the semifinals.

The Vietnamese were 15-21 defeated by the Thais in the first set but they bounced back to win the Thai players in the second set 21-14. The Thais took the match in a deciding tie-break 15-11, to win 2 sets to 1, taking the gold medal.

Sprinter Vu Thu Huong, who gained the bronze medal in the women’s 100m category on Monday, reached the final round of the women’s 200m category when she finished first in her group of the qualifying round with 24.05 seconds. Takahashi Momoko from Japan also qualified for the final round with 24.13 seconds.

Truong Thanh Hang secured the final’s ticket in the women’s 800m category as she came second in her group of the qualifying round with 2:03.28 minutes while Matsko Margarita from Kazakhstan was clocked in 2:03.28 minutes, also grasping the final’s ticket.

Meanwhile, Vu Van Huyen, another hopeful of Vietnam, had a good debut when he ended five categories of the men’s decathlon event with 4,002 points, currently ranking fourth in the ranking table.

Karpov Dmitriy from Kazakhstan, who held Asian decathlon record, collected 4,245 points followed by Kim Kun Woo from South Korea with 4,021 points and   Alquraya Mohammed Jassim M from Saudi Arabia with the same points as the Vietnamese athlete.

Huyen finished first in the men’s 100m category with 10.76 seconds and second in the men’s 400m category with 48.93 seconds. on Thursday, the athletes will be competing in five remaining categories of the men’s decathlon event.

Nguyen Dinh Cuong exited from the men’s 800m competition after coming last in the qualifying round. Earlier, Cuong also failed to qualify for the final round after crossing last in the men’s 1500m category.  

In archery, Hoang Ngoc Nhat had a 4-2 win over Salem All Ahmed from Qatar before 0-4 loss to Kim Woojin from South Korea in the men’s individual category while his teammate Dao Trong Kien was 1-5 knocked out by Rai Tarundeep from India in the same category.

With two silvers on the 12th day of competition, the Vietnamese sport delegation is still in 26th position in the medal tally with 14 silver and 12 bronze medals.

China is in the lead with 173 golds, 93 silvers and 86 bronzes, followed by South Korea with 71 golds, 59 silvers and 81 bronzes and Japan with 36 golds, 66 silvers and 74 bronzes.

Medals Standings (at 10:00 p.m. Vietnamese time)

Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	173	93	86	352
2 South Korea	71	59	81	211
3 Japan	36	66	74	176
4 Iran	16	10	19	45
5 Chinese Taipei	12	12	33	57
6 Thailand	9	7	30	46
7 Hong Kong	8	14	15	37
8 Malaysia	8	14	11	33
9 Kazakhstan	7	14	31	52
10 India	7	13	26	46
26 Vietnam	0	14	12	26

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Vietnam clinches two more silvers at Guangzhou ASIAD

Vietnam’s U-23 football team eliminated;  women’s team suffer second loss

International grand master Le Quang Liem shows his silver medal at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China on Tuesday - Photo: TTXVN

HCMC – Vietnamese athletes took home two more silvers and four bronzes at the 16th Asian Games (ASIAD) in Guangzhou, China on Tuesday. With four silvers and seven bronzes on the fourth day of competition, Vietnam climbed to the 13th place on the ranking table. 

Vietnamese wushu team continuously showed good performance when Nguyen Thanh Tung grasped the silver in the men’s taijiquan - taijijian all-round event.

Tung earned 8.67 points in the taijijian category on Tuesday morning and 9.65 points in the taijiquan category in the afternoon. The gold medal went to Wu Yanan of China, who secured 9.9 points each in the taijiquan and taijijian categories.

Nguyen Minh Thong brought home the bronze after losing 0-2 to Kim Tun Yul from South Korea in the semifinals of the men’s sanshou 60kg category and Vuong Dinh Khanh was defeated 1-2 by Cai Liangchan from Macao, China in the semifinals of the men’s sanshou 70kg category, gaining the bronze medal. 

Wushu team now leads the Vietnamese delegation in medal tally, taking two silver and four bronze medals.

International grand master Le Quang Liem failed to grasp the gold medal in the men’s individual of the chess event though he had two final victories over Sasikiran Krishnan from India and Megaranto Susanto from Indonesia in rounds 8 and 9 on Tuesday.

Kasimdzhanov Rustam from Uzbekistan and Liem secured 7.5 points each but the Uzbekistan player gained the gold thanks to his win over the Vietnamese player in round 7 on Monday.

Vietnamese billiards players suffered unlucky when they lost to their opponents in the semifinals of the billiards event later Tuesday, clinching the bronze medals. Ly The Vinh just gained the bronze after losing 36-40 Suzuki Tsuyoshi from Japan in the men’s carom 3 cushion singles event.

Duong Anh Vu was defeated 29-40 by Kai Joji from Japan in the same category, taking the bronze while Luong Chi Dung also lost 4-9 to Dang Jinhu from China in the qualifying round of the men’s 9-ball pool singles. 

Vietnamese women’s sepaktakaw team beat Japan 3-0 in the qualifying round on Tuesday while Vietnam lost 20-25, 16-25, 23-25 to India in the men’s volleyball event.

* Vietnam’s U-23 football team were ended their remarkable performance at the Asian Games after losing 0-2 to North Korea in the knock-out round on Tuesday. The loss means Vietnam surpassed its target set before ASIAD of reaching the last 16 round.

The North Korean players tested the Vietnamese defenders from the beginning but it wasn’t until the 34th minute that Choe Kum Chol opened for his team with a header.

Vietnam faced more difficulties in the 45th minute when midfielder Chu Ngoc Anh was sent off with a red card, however, the Vietnamese side suffered disadvantage again when Nguyen Van Hieu also received the second yellow card in the first minutes of the second half.

North Korea dominated possession in the second half and Choe Myong Ho finalized the game at 2-0 in the 90th minute with a penalty kick. 

In the women’s football event, Vietnam were also eliminated from competition after suffering a 0-1 loss to powerhouse China in their second game on Tuesday.

Although the Chinese players had the most possession over the game and managed to create dozens of chances, the Vietnamese side defense resiliently held out to keep a clean sheet.

China took an advance in a controversial goal when the referee gave China a free kick in the penalty box in the last minutes. Qu Suansan made no mistake in her free kick, giving her team the second win in the group of the competition.

Earlier, Vietnam lost 1-6 to South Korea in the opener. Vietnam are now still at third place with no point in hand. Vietnam will face Jordan on Thursday in the final game in the group stage while South Korea and China, who reached the quarterfinals, will meet each together for the top position of the group.

Medals Standings (at 10:00 p.m. Vietnamese time)

Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	77	28	28	133
2 South Korea	22	17	27	66
3 Japan	15	34	29	78
4 North Korea	3	6	9	18
5 Chinese Taipei	3	5	13	21
6 Hong Kong	3	5	3	11
7 Kazakhstan	2	5	9	16
8 Uzbekistan	2	5	6	13
9 India	1	4	7	12
10 Malaysia	1	1	3	5
13 Vietnam	0	4	7	11

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Olympian to compete on Saturday

Olympian weightlifter Hoang Anh Tuan will compete in the men's 56kg division of Asian Games at Dongguan gymnasium in Guangzhou, China on Saturday.

Tuan, 25, who won a silver medal at Beijing Olympics two years ago with a total lift of 290kg, is a golden hope for Viet Nam at Asia's biggest sporting event.

The Bac Ninh-born athlete won a silver with a combined lift of 285kg in the Asian Games in Qatar four years ago.

In the women's 48kg division, Nguyen Thi Hong will start her competition on Saturday.

Joton to compete in friendly tour

HCM City-based basketball team Joton will compete in the China-ASEAN Basketball Tournament in Guangxi, China from November 30 to December 6, the Viet Nam Basketball Federation said yesterday.

The team will compete in the round-robin format against Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Thailand, Guangdong and hosts Guangxi in Pingguo City.

Women get set for Asian Games

Viet Nam women's football team beat Guangzhou U-19s 3-0 in a friendly match on Tuesday.

It's the second victory over a local team during the pre-tournament training camp before Asian Games kick off tomorrow.

Viet Nam have been drawn in Group A with China, South Korea, and Jordan. The two top teams will qualify for semi-final.

The team play South Korea in the group curtain raiser on Sunday.

Veteran sharpshooter eyes gold

Sharpshooter Nguyen Manh Tuong is an oldest Vietnamese athlete competing at the 16th Asian Games (ASIAD).

Tuong, 50, who has competed in three Asian Games, said he will retire within the next five years.

He bagged a bronze in the men's individual centre-fire pistol at the Busan Asian Games in 2002, before taking a bronze in the team event in the Qatar games in 2006.

Fifteen year-old tennis player Nguyen Hoang Thien will become Viet Nam's youngest athlete at ASIAD when he makes his debut.

Thai players enter local tourney

Four Thai players will join 43 local athletes in the professional category of the 10th Phu My Hung Cup tennis tournament that opens this Saturday.

Ngo Quang Huy, Ngo Duc Duong, Tran Duc Quynh are among the more well known Vietnamese men players while Tran Thi Tam Hao and Tran Lam Anh are good players on women's side.

The tournament misses some top players who are playing at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

The Thai contingent has two male players – Ekkarin Pisuth-Arnonth and Pingmuang Santi, and two female players – Kotcha Nattawadee and Samrej Jitsupang.

The winner of the cup will get a VND15 million prize. — VNS

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North Korea beat Vietnam 2-0, taking Sonha Cup

HCMC – North Korea won the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Sonha Cup after beating hosts Vietnam 2-0 at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on Saturday.

Singapore secured second place defeating South Korea’s U23 2-0 in an earlier game on the same day in the round robin tournament.

Vietnam wanted to keep cup at home, needing to win by an almost impossible three goals in the game. The hosts, with only one point from the two opening games, needed that decisive win, but North Korea that had four points from their previous win and draw only needed to stay within two points of the hosts for victory.

The home side had suffered a 0-2 loss to South Korea U23 in the opener and tied 1-1 with Singapore in the second game, while North Korea earned a 2-1 win over Singapore in the first game and tied 1-1 with South Korea U23 in the second game.

The North Korean team participated in the friendly tournament with their strongest squad. North Korea were considered hot favourites with six of their best players, who attended the World Cup 2010 in South Africa in June, in their lineup.

Though Vietnam started the game without striker Nguyen Viet Thang, midfielder Pham Thanh Luong and midfielder Nguyen Trong Hoang, the Vietnamese side were confident as they had the home ground advantage.

Starting quickly, Vietnam began the first half with more attacks and stronger pressure but their forwards missed the net.

The visitors started the game slowly managing a few chances but the first half ended goalless.

The Vietnamese players dominated the ball possession in the first minutes of the second half but North Korea surprised in the 55th when Myong Cha Hyon netted for his team with a header after receiving the ball from Ri Pyong Chol in the left wing.

Their joy was doubled just 10 minutes later when Rin Jin Hyok beat the Vietnamese keeper Duong Hong Son with an unstoppable kick after a great cross from teammate Kang Kuk Chol, who beat the defenders’ offside trap.

Despite strong attacks in the last minutes, the Vietnamese were left frustrated by the defense without a point.

North Korea finished the four-day, four-team round-robin tournament in top spot with seven points. Singapore and South Korea U23 both ended on four points with Singaporean securing second spot on goal difference. The host team came fourth.

The North Koreans won a cash prize of US$20,000 ,while Singapore and South Korea U23collected US$10,000 and US$5,000 respectively.

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North Korea beat Vietnam 2-0, taking Sonha Cup

HCMC – North Korea won the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Sonha Cup after beating hosts Vietnam 2-0 at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on Saturday.

Singapore secured second place defeating South Korea’s U23 2-0 in an earlier game on the same day in the round robin tournament.

Vietnam wanted to keep cup at home, needing to win by an almost impossible three goals in the game. The hosts, with only one point from the two opening games, needed that decisive win, but North Korea that had four points from their previous win and draw only needed to stay within two points of the hosts for victory.

The home side had suffered a 0-2 loss to South Korea U23 in the opener and tied 1-1 with Singapore in the second game, while North Korea earned a 2-1 win over Singapore in the first game and tied 1-1 with South Korea U23 in the second game.

The North Korean team participated in the friendly tournament with their strongest squad. North Korea were considered hot favourites with six of their best players, who attended the World Cup 2010 in South Africa in June, in their lineup.

Though Vietnam started the game without striker Nguyen Viet Thang, midfielder Pham Thanh Luong and midfielder Nguyen Trong Hoang, the Vietnamese side were confident as they had the home ground advantage.

Starting quickly, Vietnam began the first half with more attacks and stronger pressure but their forwards missed the net.

The visitors started the game slowly managing a few chances but the first half ended goalless.

The Vietnamese players dominated the ball possession in the first minutes of the second half but North Korea surprised in the 55th when Myong Cha Hyon netted for his team with a header after receiving the ball from Ri Pyong Chol in the left wing.

Their joy was doubled just 10 minutes later when Rin Jin Hyok beat the Vietnamese keeper Duong Hong Son with an unstoppable kick after a great cross from teammate Kang Kuk Chol, who beat the defenders’ offside trap.

Despite strong attacks in the last minutes, the Vietnamese were left frustrated by the defense without a point.

North Korea finished the four-day, four-team round-robin tournament in top spot with seven points. Singapore and South Korea U23 both ended on four points with Singaporean securing second spot on goal difference. The host team came fourth.

The North Koreans won a cash prize of US$20,000 ,while Singapore and South Korea U23collected US$10,000 and US$5,000 respectively.

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North Korea beat Vietnam 2-0, taking Sonha Cup

HCMC – North Korea won the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Sonha Cup after beating hosts Vietnam 2-0 at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on Saturday.

Singapore secured second place defeating South Korea’s U23 2-0 in an earlier game on the same day in the round robin tournament.

Vietnam wanted to keep cup at home, needing to win by an almost impossible three goals in the game. The hosts, with only one point from the two opening games, needed that decisive win, but North Korea that had four points from their previous win and draw only needed to stay within two points of the hosts for victory.

The home side had suffered a 0-2 loss to South Korea U23 in the opener and tied 1-1 with Singapore in the second game, while North Korea earned a 2-1 win over Singapore in the first game and tied 1-1 with South Korea U23 in the second game.

The North Korean team participated in the friendly tournament with their strongest squad. North Korea were considered hot favourites with six of their best players, who attended the World Cup 2010 in South Africa in June, in their lineup.

Though Vietnam started the game without striker Nguyen Viet Thang, midfielder Pham Thanh Luong and midfielder Nguyen Trong Hoang, the Vietnamese side were confident as they had the home ground advantage.

Starting quickly, Vietnam began the first half with more attacks and stronger pressure but their forwards missed the net.

The visitors started the game slowly managing a few chances but the first half ended goalless.

The Vietnamese players dominated the ball possession in the first minutes of the second half but North Korea surprised in the 55th when Myong Cha Hyon netted for his team with a header after receiving the ball from Ri Pyong Chol in the left wing.

Their joy was doubled just 10 minutes later when Rin Jin Hyok beat the Vietnamese keeper Duong Hong Son with an unstoppable kick after a great cross from teammate Kang Kuk Chol, who beat the defenders’ offside trap.

Despite strong attacks in the last minutes, the Vietnamese were left frustrated by the defense without a point.

North Korea finished the four-day, four-team round-robin tournament in top spot with seven points. Singapore and South Korea U23 both ended on four points with Singaporean securing second spot on goal difference. The host team came fourth.

The North Koreans won a cash prize of US$20,000 ,while Singapore and South Korea U23collected US$10,000 and US$5,000 respectively.

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Vietnam hold 1-1 draw with Singapore at Sonha Cup

HCMC – The Vietnamese national squad tied 1-1 with Singapore in the second game of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Sonha Cup on Thursday at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi while South Korea U23 also did the same with North Korea, securing the top spot in the four-team tournament in the earlier game.

The Vietnamese side began the game with a changed lineup after a 0-2 loss to South Korea U23 in their opener. Midfielder Phan Van Tai Em and defender Huynh Quang Thanh made his debut at the tournament, replacing midfielder Le Tan Tai defender Dang Van Phong from the beginning. Defender Le Phuoc Tu and midfielder Pham Thanh Luong  also played in the first minutes.

Though the game was only a friendly, the competition between hosts Vietnam and archrivals Singapore is always fiercely competitive, moreover, the tournament is considered the final test for both Vietnam and Singapore before the Southeast Asian championship/AFF Suzuki Cup 2010, which will be held in Vietnam and Indonesia from December 1 to 29.

The chief coach of the national football team Coach Henrique Calisto and his squad made their final preparations to defend the AFF-Suzuki Cup where Vietnam have been drawn in Group B with Singapore, the Philippines and Myanmar.

Under heavy pressure from local fans, hosts Vietnam put their rivals under a lot of pressure, while the Singaporean squad, with height advantage, looked composed and confident throughout and caused the home team problems with their rare counter attacks.

Although the Vietnamese players had the most possession over the first minutes and managed to create dozens of chances, the Singaporean side defense resiliently held out to keep a clean sheet.

Singapore surprisingly took an advance in a rare attack when Shi Jiayi scored for his team in the 25th minute after receiving the ball from Duric in the penalty box.

In the second half, coach Henrique Calisto made some key changes when Nguyen Huy Hoang and Le Sy Manh made their debut, replacing  Le Tan Tai and Nguyen Minh Phuong in the first minutes of the second half. Nguyen Trong Hoang replaced Pham Thanh Luong in the 58th minute.

Although the Vietnamese players had the most possession over the second half and managed to create dozens of chances, however, the spectators waiting for 30 minutes into the second half to celebrate the hosts’ leveling when Phan Van Tai Em netted for his team with a comfortable kick after receiving the ball from midfielder Le Sy Manh in the penalty box.

In the earlier game on Thursday, North Korea tied 1-1 with South Korea U23. Ri Myong Jun scored for the North Korean side just three minutes into the game while  Jung Woo Young equalized for South Korea in the 37th minute with a penalty kick.

With the draw, North Korea and South Korea U23 earned four points each but the South Korean side secured the top spot thanks to the goal difference. Both Vietnam and the Singapore’s hopes of winning  the cup were faded when they secured just one each from two games.

The champions will be decided on Saturday when South Korea U23 will play Singapore at 5:00 p.m. and Vietnam take on North Korea at 7:00 p.m. in the final games.

The national football teams from Singapore, North Korea and hosts Vietnam together with the U23 team of South Korea are competing in the annual tournament. The four teams are playing in a round-robin tournament with the team that gets the most points being declared the championship. The tournament is taking place from Tuesday to Saturday in Hanoi.

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VN face tough task after drawing with Singapore

HA NOI — Viet Nam and Singapore earned their first points at the Viet Nam Football Federation's SONHA Cup yesterday after the two teams drew 1-1 at My Dinh Stadium in Ha Noi.

The host team followed a new game plan that differed significantly to their strategy against South Korea two days ago, when Viet Nam suffered a 2-0 defeat.

This time, the host team set the pace and control the ball most of the time, despite only being able to score once from a corner kick in the second half of the match.

Singapore were on the defensive but managed to score first, at the 26th minute.

The goal was thanks to a combination play between two imported players. Aleksandar Duric, a former Bosnia and Herzegovina citizen, took the ball to the box before passing it to Chinese-born Shi Jiayi, who shot the ball straight into the net.

Vietnamese goalkeeper Duong Hong Son got his fingers to the ball, but was unable to stop the powerful shot from close range.

The goal did not rally the Vietnamese players to immediately lift their game, with several good opportunities to equalise carelessly missed.

The situation for the host team seemed to get worse when the side lost striker Nguyen Viet Thang at the 31st minute due to an injury.

The second saw Viet Nam continue its attack, threatening Singapore's goal but unable to score.

Captain Phan Van Tai Em, replaced striker Sy Manh and halfback Nguyen Vu Phong helped rally the team intensify their assaults.

Tai Em could level the score for Viet Nam at the 76th minute after a corner kick. Tai Em took the ball after it bounced out of a chaotic penalty area, converting with a quick strike into the net.

For his efforts, Tai Em won the US$1,000 bonus from the tournament's sponsors for the first Vietnamese player to score.

Viet Nam and Singapore will face each other again at the coming Southeast Asian Football Federation Cup in December.

Earlier in the SONHA Cup, a clash between North Korea and South Korea also resulted in a 1-1 draw.

After two matches, South Korea rank on the top of the table with four points, North Korea follow with four points as well, losing out to South Korea on goal difference. Singapore and Viet Nam are third and fourth, respectively.

Viet Nam still have a chance to win the cup but only if they can score plenty of goals against North Korea who are considered the strongest defensive team of the tournament while South Korea lose to Singapore in the other game. — VNS

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South Korea U23 beat Vietnam in Sonha Cup opener

HCMC – South Korea U-23 beat the Vietnamese national squad 2-0 in their opening game of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Sonha Cup on Tuesday at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi.

The two sides began the game with their strongest lineups. Vietnam began the match with attacks from both wings with Le Tan Tai on the right and Nguyen Vu Phong on the left.

The visitors, with height advantage, put more attacks from the start of the game in search of a goal and their players dominated the ball possession in the first half. The home side also created some scoring chances but the Korean side defense resiliently held out to keep a clean sheet.

The Korean missed all scoring chances in the first half though the Vietnamese players made many mistakes. The best after 34 minutes in the first half when Jeon Hyun Cheol’s kicks hit the goalpost.

After the break, Vietnamese coach Henrique Calisto replaced key players. Midfielders Tran Duy Quang, Nguyen Trong Hoang and Le Phuoc Tu replaced Nguyen Vu Phong, Nguyen Minh Phuong and Nguyen Minh Chau.

The change prompted the home side to launch more attacks toward the Korean goalmouth in the first minutes of the second half. However, the Vietnamese players just created some good chances.

The Vietnamese defenders continuously made many mistakes in the second half. Jung Woo Young had a good chance to open the score in the 63rd minute and the substitution easily beat goalkeeper Duong Hong Son in a free kick from outside the penalty box.

Jung Woo Young nearly scored again for the Korean side in the 78th minute when his free kick hit the cross bar before Kim Min Je finalized the game at 2-0 in the 90th minute.

In the earlier opening game, the North Koreans showed why they were favorites as they earned a 2-1 victory over Singapore in the last minutes despite Singapore opened the score in the first half. 

The national football teams from Singapore, North Korea and hosts Vietnam together with the U23 team of South Korea are competing in the annual tournament. The tournament is considered the final test for both Vietnam and Singapore before the Southeast Asian championship/AFF Suzuki Cup 2010, which will be held in Vietnam and Indonesia from December 1 to 29.

Tomorrow’s matches at My Dinh National Stadium are North Korea vs. South Korea U23 at 5:00 p.m. and Vietnam vs. Singapore at 7:00 p.m.

The four teams are competing in a round-robin tournament, which will end in Hanoi on Saturday.

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Son Ha Cup starts next week

HCMC – The national football teams from Singapore, North Korea and hosts Vietnam together with the U23 team of South Korea will compete in the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Son Ha Cup early next month.

The four teams will compete in the round-robin tournament from November 2-6 at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi.

The Vietnamese team will be fielding their strongest squad in hopes of keeping the cup in Vietnam.

The tournament is considered the final test for both Vietnam and Singapore before the Southeast Asian championship/AFF Suzuki Cup 2010, which will be held in Vietnam and Indonesia from December 1 to 29.

The chief coach of the national football team Coach Henrique Calisto and his squad will be making their final preparations to defend the AFF-Suzuki Cup where Vietnam have been drawn in Group B with Singapore, the Philippines and Myanmar.

Henrique Calisto announced his squad of 24 players for Son Ha Cup two weeks ago. However, star striker Le Cong Vinh, who has returned from Portugal from a ligament operation, has lost his chance with the national squad because of injury.

According to the organizers, the two Korean teams are sending their strongest players. The South Korean team are the hot favourites though they are sending a 23-member squad.  

The North Korean team are also said to be strong with six of their best players coming who attended the World Cup 2010 in South Africa in June.

The North Korean team will feature six key players including goalkeepers Ri Myong-guk and Ri Kang; defender Ji Jun Nam; midfielders Pak Chol-jin, Mun In Guk and Kim Kyong Il.

Vietnam’s national team will clash with South Korea’s U-23s in the opening game of the tournament on November 2 while Singapore will meet North Korea in their opener on the same day.

The VFF Cup, which used to be known as the Agribank Cup, has been held annually since 2004. Vietnam won the title in 2005 and 2009 and were runners-up in 2004, 2006 and 2008.

The Vietnam Football Federation also signed a three-year sponsorship contract with Son Ha Group. The winners of the Son Ha Cup will receive a trophy and US$20,000. The runner-up will be awarded US$10,000, while the third-place team will receive US$5,000. The sponsor will also award US$1,000 to the first scorer.

Tickets for the international football tournament will go on sale at outlets in Hanoi on Saturday, the organizing committee has announced. The tickets, priced between VND80,000-150,000 (US$4-US$7.5), will also be available at www.eleale.com.

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Muscleman to defend world title

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

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Vu aims to knock ‘em out at Dutch tourney

World's best: Duong Anh Vu takes aim during the men's singles carom 3 final against South Korea's Cho Jae-ho at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games held in HCM City last year. — VNS Photo Tien Thanh

HCM CITY — Viet Nam's top three-cushion billiards player Duong Anh Vu will compete in the 63rd World Three Cushion Championships from tomorrow to Sunday in Sluiskil, the Netherlands.

"The tournament brings together the world's best players," Vu, who recently dropped to 21st place, said.

"So my goal is to reach the knock-out and improved my ranking."

Forty eight players will play in 16 groups from which one each will qualify for the knock-out. Another Vietnamese Ly The Vinh, who won the Southeast Asian Games gold medal in 1997, will also take part.

"This is also good preparation for the Asian Games (ASIAD) in Guangzhou next month."

Viet Nam, South Korea, and Japan are the three strongest Asian countries in the format and will be the main contenders for medal places.

Vu's main opponents at the ASIAD, South Koreans Kym Kyung-roul, Choi Sung-won, and Heo Jung-han and Japan's Ryuuji Umeda, will also compete in the world champs.

After the event, the HCM City-born will play in the Three Cushion Masters in France before flying to Guangzhou for the ASIAD.

The three-cushion event offers Viet Nam one of their best medal hopes. At the 2006 ASIAD in Doha, Qatar, Vu had to settle for a silver medal after losing to Umeda in the final.

Vu, 30, also won a silver medal at 2009 the Asian Indoor Games in Viet Nam. — VNS

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V-League draws record crowds

The V-League last season sold a record number of tickets to matches, with matches attracting an average of 8,297 punters, the Viet Nam Football Federation's general secretary Tran Quoc Tuan said in a meeting yesterday.

The federation also praised the coaching of Phan Thanh Hung of Ha Noi T&T, who helped the Hanoian team win the premier league after a 12-year-wait.

Two-time champion Binh Duong, who were the top-scoring team with 48 goals, won the fair play award for the year.

The First Division's Ha Noi ACB were promoted to the V-League, while Nam Dinh were relegated after a poor season.

Argentine Gaston Merlo finished as top scorer, netting 19 times in 26 matches for Da Nang.

In the V-League games last season, there were 820 yellow and 44 red cards handed out.

Women's team face tough draw

Viet Nam's women's team have been drawn in Group A with Indonesia and Japan in the team sepak takraw event (rattan ball kicking) at the Asian Games next month.

In Group B, powerful Thailand will play against India, South Korea and China.

In the regu (squad of three) event, Viet Nam, China, Myanmar and Thailand will compete in a round robin format for the gold medal.

According to team coach Ha Tung Lap, Viet Nam will have a tough job defending the title they won in Doha four years ago.

The team is made up of Luu Thi Thanh, 29, Trinh Thu Ba and Nguyen Bich Thuy, who helped the team win two gold medals at previous games.

HCM City to host aerobics tourney

HCM City will host the Asian Sports Aerobic Championships from December 16-18, the national sports administration said.

The organisers said that 10 teams from China, Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Mongolia and the Philippines have registered to compete at the event.

Competitors will compete in the men's and women's singles, pairs, trios and groups of six.

Men's volleyballers debut at games

Viet Nam's men's volleyball team will compete for the first time at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China next month, the Viet Nam Volleyball Federation confirmed yesterday.

The 12-member squad will play in Group B with South Korea, Kazakhstan and India.

The team bagged a bronze medal at the Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines in 2005 and a silver in Thailand in 2007.

Nghe An to build football academy

Song Lam Nghe An Football Club is planning to build a 1,000-ha youth academy, a team source said yesterday.

The team have sought co-operation with an English Premier League broker for future development.

According to general director of Song Lam Nghe An football stock company, Nguyen Hong Thanh, the broker will make a survey next month before a contract is signed.

Three years ago, Hoang Anh Gia Lai also constructed a football academy, Hoang Anh Gia Lai-JMG-Arsenal, with the co-operation of the Premier League's Arsenal. — VNS

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Semis loom at volleyball quest

Four top teams including defending champions Binh Dien Long An, PV Oil Thai Binh, the Military Signal Corps and Vietso Petro have qualified for the semi-finals of the women's National All-Star Volleyball Championship.

In the men's competition, Hoang Long Long An and the Border Guards also sailed through to the semis to join Trang An Ninh Binh and The Cong.

The bottom four teams in both competitions will compete in a round-robin for their premier league survival.

The championship has drawn 12 teams in both the men and women's events who have been battling it out in two groups of six.

The semi-finals will be held in Hai Duong and Ninh Binh from Saturday.

Teen tennis star marches on

HCM City-born Nguyen Hoang Thien beat Sweden's Solberg Christoffer 7-6, 6-1 in the quarters-finals of the Viet Nam International Junior Championship yesterday in the southern province of Binh Duong.

Thien, the top seed, fought hard to take the first set on a tie-break from the sixth seed Swede but wasted no time in cruising to a 6-1 second set victory.

He meets Han Sung-min of South Korea in the semi-final today.

The tournament was recognised as an annual junior tournament by the International Tennis Federation in 2008.

Viet Nam go down to Kuwait

Viet Nam's national football team suffered their second loss in a week after a 3-1 defeat to Kuwait in a friendly match at Jaber Al-Ahmad Stadium on Tuesday.

In last year's corresponding fixture, Viet Nam won 1-0.

The team also lost 3-1 to India in a friendly in Pune last Friday.

Viet Nam will clash with South Korea's U-23s, Singapore and North Korea in the VFF SONHA Cup at My Dinh National Stadium on November 2-6.

Ha Noi fan club wins vote

Ha Noi T&T's fan club has been voted as the best supporters group in the V-League, the Viet Nam Football Federation has announced.

The fan club, which was only started last year, won 14 votes to earn 38 points, edging Da Nang and Dong Thap.

Ha Noi T&T triumphed in the V-League for the first time last season.

Last year, Da Nang's fans won the title. — VNS

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Vietnam Olympic draws tough group for ASIAD

HCMC - Vietnam’s U-23 football team drew some of West Asia’s strongest teams in the group stages at 16th Asian Games (ASIAD), while the Vietnam women’s national football team will have to play powerhouse China and South Korea.

According to the draw, which took place in Guangzhou, China on Thursday, Vietnam has got stiff competition in Group B with Iran, Bahrain and Turkmenistan.

The men’s football event will have 24 teams compete in six groups with the top two teams of each group and four best third-placed teams qualifying for the last 16 round.

The hosts China will play against Japan, Kyrgyzstan and Malaysia in Group A. South Korea will face North Korea, Palestine and Jordan in Group C. Group D comprises defending champions Qatar, Kuwait, India and Singapore.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong will compete in Group E including Uzbekistan, UAE and Bangladesh while Thailand are in Group F with the last ASIAD runners-up Iraq, Maldives and Oman.

The women’s football event will have seven teams compete in two groups and top two teams of each group qualifying to the semifinals. Vietnam are in Group A with hosts China, South Korea and Jordan while Thailand will play in Group B together with defending champions North Korea and runners-up Japan.

The group matches of the men’s football event will be played from November 7 to 25 while the women’s football event will take place from November 14 to 23.

In a friendly tournament to prepare for the ASIAD, Vietnam’s U-23 football team won the international football tournament - Eximbank Cup 2010 after trouncing Iran U21 2-0 during the final match in HCMC last month. The round-robin tournament drew the U-23 teams of Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Iran U21.

During the last ASIAD, which was held in Qatar four years ago, Vietnam’s U23 football team finished third position, however, the Vietnam Olympic team failed to qualify for the last 16 team. Vietnam were in the same group with South Korea, Bahrain and Bangladesh.

The 2010 Asian Games, also known as the 16th ASIAD, which will be held from November 12 to 27 in Guangzhou, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. Guangzhou is the second city in China to host the Games after Beijing in 1990.

A total of 476 events in 42 sports will be contested by athletes, making it the largest event in the history of the Games. It will also be the last one to have such big events, as the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has enforced new hosting rules beginning with the 2014 Games.

The Vietnamese delegation grabbed three gold, thirteen silver and seven bronze medals at the 15th Asian Games in Qatar, ending in 19th place overall in the medal standings. The Vietnamese delegation had send some 365 athletes, coaches, referees and officials to Asia’s biggest sporting event.

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