Southeast Asia remains football’s backwaters

Thailand’s coach Steve Darby calls on Southeast Asian nations to improve their football infrastructure for developments

Long considered a sick man in Asia, Southeast Asian football has been unable to get rid of the tag despite making great efforts in the past decade.

No country from the region has ever won a title at the Asian level, and Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia seem highly unlikely to change that any time soon.

Peter Butler – a former midfielder at English club West Ham who has coaching experience in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia -- said Southeast Asia is the “little boy” of Asia.

“They need better infrastructure and qualified managers.

“Japan and South Korea have pulled far ahead of them.”

Thailand’s coach Steve Darby also stressed the vital role of infrastructure in developing football.

Alfred Riedl, Vietnam’s former coach and currently head of the Indonesian team, said youth training plays the most important role but many nations in the region have failed to do it.

“They are not patient to wait for 10 years for a generation of young players to mature,” he added. “The period is longer than the office terms of football officials who need instant results.”

Cambodia’s Australian-born coach Scott O’Donnell pointed to another aspect of the problem: “Southeast Asian teams seem to focus on competing with one another and not on longer-term plans to catch up with the world.”

Southeast Asian Vovinam Federation set up

Meeting to announce the establishment of the Southeast Asian Vovinam Federation (SEAVF) was held in Cambodia on Tuesday, a token of the wide spreading of the Vietnamese martial arts after the world federation and the Asian federation were set up in 2008 and February this year respectively.

Representatives of five countries including Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia attended the event.

Thailand and Brunei didn’t attend the ceremony, but they technically support the establishment since the two are members of the World Vovinam Federation from 2008.

At the meeting, delegates voted Cambodian Vovinam Federation chairman Rat Sokhorn as SEAVF chairman. Vo Danh Hai from Vietnam and three representatives from Indonesia, Laos and Malaysia are vice chairmen.

Last year, Vovinam was approved to be included for official competition at the 2011 Southeast Asian Games in Jakarta in November.

Vovinam, created in 1938 in Hanoi by Master Nguyen Loc, is now popular in around 35 countries and territories where there are hundreds of thousands of practitioners.

The fighting technique, which involves both unarmed and weapons combat, uses the opponent’s momentum to counterattack. Its range of techniques includes the use of hands, elbows, and legs to throw, wrestle, and lever.

Related Articles

• Big enterprises benefit from tax mechanism
• ASEAN role sought to resolve temple conflict
• VNPT wins over Viettel in ‘$5.1 bln revenue race’
• Vietnam targets US$20 billion in FDI next year
• Delayed floods disappoint farmers

ASEAN youth keen on HCM City home-stay

Delegates joining the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Programme had an
interesting experience on a home-stay duration in Ho Chi Minh City.

The 329 young people, who came from 10 member
countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and
Japan , arrived in the city on December 5 after visiting Malaysia ,
Thailand , Indonesia and Singapore .

During
their four-day stay in HCM City , the delegates participated in
cultural and sports exchanges with local youth and studied local
culture, manners and customs.

Sharing his feelings,
Kong Davon from Cambodia , said: “The Vietnamese people are very
friendly and hospitable. When I came to stay with them, all members of
the family took care of me. Despite the language difference, I felt the
care through their gestures. I am particularly interested in Hue
beef noodle soup.”

Meanwhile, Buama, a delegate from
the Philippines, talked of the deep impressions gained during walks
along the streets in the city where there are many beauty spots, wide
roads and rows of old trees.

The ship, which left
Japan ’s Yokohama Port on November 4, is scheduled to return to the
Japanese capital, Tokyo on December 8.

The
programme is an initiative of the Japanese Government and receives
cooperative assistance from the governments of ASEAN nations. It aims to
strengthen friendship and mutual understanding between young people
from Japan and Southeast Asian countries, and to provide a chance
for them to expand their view of the world, develop their creativity and
get to know about each other’s culture./.

Related Articles

• Giang snags gold in youth wushu worlds
• NA Committee debates Law on Denunciations
• Vietnam power undersupply to go into next year
• Visit hell then heaven
• FDI flow into HCMC increases 67.5%

Masters set for showdown

Vietnamese masters will take part in the first Southeast Asian Individual Chess Championship in Singapore next week.

The tournament will be held every two years by the Southeast Asian Chess Federation with a view of developing the regional chess movement.

Eight or nine delegations will join this debut event, which is also an opportunity for players to warm up ahead of the next December's SEA Games in Indonesia.

General Secretary of the Viet Nam Chess Federation Dang Tat Thang said Viet Nam would participate in both men's and women's categories.

After the championship, the Vietnamese players will enjoy a short break before being summoned in early 2011 to a range of international tournaments.

Seminar spotlights VN taekwondo

How to boost the capacity of Vietnamese taekwondo athletes and improve Viet Nam-South Korea co-operation in this martial art topped the agenda of a seminar in Ha Noi on Saturday.

The seminar was co-organised by the Viet Nam Taekwondo Federation (VTF), the South Korean Cultural Centre and the South Korean Taekwondo Instructors Association (RTIA) in Viet Nam.

Head of RTIA in Viet Nam Kim Jung-sik said the athletes' rapid adaptability to scientific devices and modern technology plays an important role in achieving success, as they help them to achieve high results in international and regional competitions.

This is a lesson the Korea has drawn from its failures at ASIAD 16, especially after one of the country's athletes lost to his Iranian rival because he had yet to adapt to changes in the electronic breastplates.

VTF General Secretary Truong Ngoc De said Viet Nam needed to build effective competition methods and improve the quality of athlete selection if it wanted to regain its top regional position and win gold medals in ASIAD and the London Olympics in 2012.
Taekwondo has developed strongly in Viet Nam in recent years, with more than 40,000 athletes training across the country.

Japanese perform martial arts

The Japanese Embassy, in co-ordination with the Aikido Yukishudokan and Kendo Ha Noi Clubs, held an Aikido and Kendo performance in the capital on Saturday.

Speaking at the event, Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Yasuaki Tanizaki said that Aikido and Kendo were Japan's two traditional martial arts which represent the unique cultural identity of people from the country of cherry blossoms.

He expressed his wish that the performance would help Vietnamese people, especially young people, understand more about the Japanese culture, and strengthen the friendship and mutual understanding between the two nations.

Formed 1,200 years ago, Kendo uses bamboo sticks to attack with the aim of strengthening physical and spiritual health as well as improving concentration in study and work. — VNS

Related Articles

• Viet Nam's first coffee museum set to open
• ASEAN role sought to resolve temple conflict
• Harvard man says originality helps growth
• Big enterprises benefit from tax mechanism
• Delayed floods disappoint farmers

Thailand the worst in the last two decades

Former captain of Thailand, Kiatisak Senamuang

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Managing to make two ties at the Southeast Asian Football Championship, Suzuki Cup and facing risks of being eliminated for the first time at the tournament, the national team of Thailand are judged the worst squad in the last two decades of the nation.

Kiatisak Senamuang, Thai former captain international and coach of Vietnam’s top-flight club Hoang Anh Gia Lai, confirmed it to Tuoi Tre. He attributed the failure to fitness and preparations.

Thailand, the nine-time champions of Olympic-level Southeast Asian Games and three-time champions of Southeast Asian Football Championship, were held to 2-2 and 0-0 draws with Laos and Malaysia on December 7 and will play the last game in group A against hosts Indonesia with six points after two wins.

Malaysia and Laos, each holding a point, will face each other in the last group stage

Thai players are not in their best form and fitness, Kiatisak admitted.

“They played fouls 15 times with Malaysians due to their failure in fighting for the ball,” he admitted.

“In the last 20 years, Thai football has never fallen in such a trouble at such a regional tournament,” Kiatisak added.

Poor performance of Thailand was also attributed to preparations when players started their training camp around two weeks before the tourney.

“I will discuss why Thai football is on the decline later,” Kiatisak told Tuoi Tre.

Group A Standings:

Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Points
Indonesia	2	2	0	0	11	1	6
Thailand	2	0	2	0	2	2	2
Malaysia	2	0	1	1	1	5	1
Laos	2	0	1	1	2	8	1

 Group B Standings:

Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Points
Vietnam	1	1	0	0	7	1	3
Philippines	1	0	1	0	1	1	1
Singapore	1	0	1	0	1	1	1
Myanmar	1	0	0	1	1	7	0

Related Articles

• Prime Minister discusses relations, co-operation with Lao counterpart
• Wrong diagnoses almost kill two in delta hospital
• Tiger Woods and wife divorce after sex scandal
• Argentine Vice President praises VN’s achievements
• Tevez on target as Man City beat Liverpool 3-0

Coach fears about fitness at Southeast Asian champs

Coach Henrique Calisto

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Vietnamese football coach Henrique Calisto told Tuoi Tre the team are not at their physical peak for the AFF Suzuki Cup that kicks off December 1.

“The recipe for a team to succeed includes three things – unity, quality, and motivation,” the Portuguese-born coach said ahead of the Southeast Asian Football Championship to be held in Vietnam and Indonesia until December 29.

Vietnam are now behind Thailand and Singapore in terms of these criteria, he said.

He pointed to the Asian Games in Guangzhou this month, saying the Vietnamese, except for goalie Tan Truong and striker Anh Duc, were smaller than the smallest player in the Iranian team who were themselves only average-sized for Asia.

Vietnam were eliminated in the group stage at the competition.

Nevertheless, Vietnam have not chosen any of their four naturalized foreign players while Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines have been doing so for a long time.

The non-selection of the foreign players, who are physically superior to the Vietnamese, is a weakness, Calisto said.

Among other problems for the team is the poor surface at Hanoi’s My Dinh national stadium where they will play in group B, he said. Since Vietnam play a short passing game, they will find the bumpy surface unsuitable, he explained.

Singapore, who traditionally play long balls, will benefit, he added.

As of today, tuoitrenews will cover up-to-date information about the AFF Suzuki Cup, available here

Related Articles

• Coach crash leaves 16 injured in Delta region
• Young stars raise profile of Vietnam chess
• Conference praises City biosphere reserve

29 Vietnamese youths to join regional ship

A two-week training course for 29 young Vietnamese people who will
attend the 37th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Programme (SSEAYP) 2010
opened in Hanoi on Oct. 11.

The Vietnamese youth,
together with young people from Thailand  Malaysia, Singapore and
Indonesia , will join the programme, to be held in Japan from Oct.
25-Dec. 16.

As planned, the Vietnamese delegation,
led by Phan Thi Thuy Tram, Deputy Director of the Northern Investment
Promotion Centre, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, will organise
“Vietnam Day” on Dec. 5.

This year’s programme,
themed “Youth Participation in Social Activities,” will offer the
participants opportunities to analyse their role in the socio-economic
development of each country and discuss activities to improve their
involvement.

SSEAYP is a regional youth exchange programme, drawing the participation of ten ASEAN members and Japan .

Starting in 1974 following the initiative of the governments of Japan,
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, the
programme helps to strengthen friendship and mutual understanding
between young Japanese and Southeast Asian people./.

Related Articles

• Government vows to bail out insolvent shipbuilder Vinashin
• PM sets agenda for insolvent shipbuilder
• Defence co-operation boosts regional peace
• HCMC youth join campaign to promote green lifestyles
• VN looks to expand co-operation with UK

Southeast Asian cultures on show

As many as 42 objects related to Southeast Asian cultures are on display
at an exhibition, which opened in Hanoi on October 4 in the presence
of the Swiss, French, Swedish and Indonesian diplomatic corps in Hanoi.

The exhibition, “A glimpse of South East
Asia”, which presents costumes, lacquer art and Indonesian tribal art
paintings on glass, is part of a Southeast Asia Corner project, a
virtual museum on the regional cultures.

The project aims to enrich public knowledge of the diverse and vibrant Southeast Asian culture.

It is also expected to help visitors discover the similarity and
difference between nations in the region, said organisers from the
Vietnam Ethonology Museum , which will house the Southeast Asian
Corner.

Since 2006, the museum has collected over
2,000 objects, 8,000 documentary pictures and more than 30 video tapes
from the other nine members of the Southeast Asian Nations, namely
Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei,
Singapore, Laos and Myanmar.

Under the project, a
building called “Kite” is now under construction to showcase fabrics and
costumes, daily life, social life, performance art and religion of the
regional countries.

The Head of the Southeast
Asian Section, Dr. Vi Van An, said the collection has highlighted the
traditional weaving technology with special techniques and products
popular not only in the region but also in Europe .

He cited two Gadang costumes of tribes living in north of the Philippines .

Also worth of notes are nine lacquer-painted objects of Myanmar , including those dating back hundreds of years.

“A Glimpse of Southeast Asia” exhibition will last until November 5, 2011./.

Related Articles

• Photos show national heroes, celebrities
• Travel show ends with positive feedback from business
• Painters show works inspired by nature, nostalgia
• Girls gear up for Vietnam’s Next Top Model
• Most ice is unhygienic

VN favourites for regional cup

HCM CITY — The draw for the Asean Football Federation (AFFC) Suzuki Cup 2010 in Ha Noi on Wednesday appeared like any other, but it was a significant event for Vietnamese football.

For the first time in the competition's 14-year history, Viet Nam were seeded first.

Although Viet Nam are the reigning champions, the top seeding caps the country's remarkable progress since it rejoined regional football as a fully independent nation only 19 years ago.

The national football team at that time was an enigma to then-strong teams like Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

On Viet Nam's debut at the region's largest sporting event, the 1991 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines, Viet Nam were drawn in Group B with Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

They drew 2-2 with the Philippines but lost 2-1 to Malaysia and 1-0 to Indonesia and failed to qualify for the semi-final.

At the following Singapore SEA Games in 1993, Viet Nam showed progress, beating the Philippines for the first time but eventually went home after the group stages, losing 1-0 to Indonesia and 2-0 to Singapore.

Turning point

The turning point in Vietnamese football came in Thailand when they sprung a surprise at the 18th SEA Games in 1995, by winning a silver medal after losing to Thailand in the final.

After losing to the eventual winners in their opener, they beat Indonesia, a very strong team at that time. They went on to defeat Cambodia 4-0 before further progressing with a 2-0 win over Malaysia.

Winning streak

Their winning streak continued with a last gasp victory over Myanmar in the semi-final before eventually succumbing to Thailand in the final.

This year's tournament is scheduled to be hosted by Viet Nam and Indonesia in December with the two top teams from each group progressing into the semi-finals, which will be played in two-leg matches.

Viet Nam enter the championships as number one seeds. Winning the trophy for a second time would see Viet Nam pull along side Thailand and Singapore among the Southeast Asian elite.

Viet Nam are in the same group as Singapore, Myanmar and the runners-up of the final qualifying round between Laos, Cambodia, Timor Leste and the Philippines.

According to Viet Nam coach Henrique Calisto, the draw is favourable for the defending champions, and Vietnamese football fans may well be in for more noisy celebrating. — VNS

Related Articles

• Food promotions at Grand and First hotels
• President urges all to care for revolutionary veterans
• ASEAN prepared for summits
• ANZ completes due diligence on South Korea KEB
• Upcoming events

Viet Nam bids for 18th Asian Games

Eyes on the prize: Viet Nam's women's relay team are strong contenders at the Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games. Viet Nam is bidding to host the 18th Asian Games. — VNS Photo Quang Thang

HA NOI — Viet Nam is confident it will get the go-ahead to host several major sporting events over the next 10 years. The biggest will be the 18th Asian Games (ASIAD).

Hosting the four-yearly games, the biggest in the Asian sporting calendar, brings not only prestige but also an economic boost.

The 18th edition will kick off in 2019 and will be a hotly contested affair.

The Vietnamese Government sent its application to the Olympics Council of Asia (OCA) in March. Following Malaysia's withdrawal over costs, just Hong Kong, the United Arabia Emirates, India, the Philippines, Chinese Taipei and Viet Nam are in the running. Viet Nam considers India to be the strongest contender.

"[Malaysia's withdrawal] is good news for us. Now our main rival is India – the others are unlikely to be successful," said Hoang Vinh Giang, general secretary of the Viet Nam Olympic Committee.

In India's favour is its superior infrastructure, which is a major consideration for the OCA, Giang said.

"However, Viet Nam's successful hosting of the third Asian Indoor Games in 2009 will be to our advantage. In my opinion, the stability of the political situation in the country will play a major role in the OCA's final decision," Giang said.

Giang said the biggest challenge facing Viet Nam is the huge cost involved in hosting the games.

Malaysia withdrew from the race because the government felt the nation could not afford the 1.6 billion Malaysian ringit (US$517 million) cost of hosting the games. Furthermore, that figure does not include construction costs.

However, Giang said the Government would not have allowed the committee's bid to go ahead if it had felt the nation could not afford the cost involved.

If successful, Giang said eight years would be ample time for Viet Nam to get ready for the games.

"Many difficulties await. Eight years is not a long time to get ready for the games, but our success in hosting recent tournaments and festivals has raised Viet Nam's profile.

"The Vietnamese people will be delighted if the country hosts the 18th ASIAD. For that reason, I believe if we host the 18th ASIAD it would be a great success," Giang said.

The 16th ASIAD takes place in China's Guangzhou province this November, while the 17th will be held in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014.

Viet Nam, whose strongest events are martial arts, chess, sepak takraw (rattan ball kicking) and petanque, is also hoping to host the Southeast Asian Games and the Asian Beach Games in 2016, and the Indoor Martial Arts Games two years later. — VNS

Related Articles

• IFC: Vietnam needs to increase PPP to support economy
• Weightlifter grabs Vietnam’s first Olympic gold at Youth Games
• Vietnam Air accepts web check-in for int’l flights
• Vietnam tunes in to skyscraper trend
• Hanoi model wins Miss Vietnam 2010

Top weightlifter to compete at world championship in Turkey

Viet Nam's top weightlifter Hoang Anh Tuan will be taking part in the world championship in Turkey on September 15-27.

The Olympic silver medallist, who has been training in China, will fly home on September 12 and leave for the tournament two days later.

He will compete in the men's 56kg category, while teammate Nguyen Thi Phuong Loan will contest the women's 69kg division. Loan is the Southeast Asian Games defending champion, the title she won in Laos last December.

"Tuan's biggest goal this year is to win a gold medal at November's Asian Games in Guangzhou, China," said Do Dinh Khang, head of the weightlifting department.

SEA Games champions lined up for Pool World Cup

Cuiests Luong Chi Dung and Do Hoang Quan will represent Viet Nam at the World Cup of Pool on September 7 in Manila, the Philippines.

The Vietnamese duo who triumphed at the 25th Southeast Asian Games last December will meet David Alcaide and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz from Spain in their first match next Thursday.

The tournament, which is attracting 32 world pairs, is offering prize money of US$60,000.

The final is scheduled for September 12.

In 2006, Viet Nam made it into the semi-finals.

Young archers to take aim at Hai Phong tourney tomorrow

The National Youth Archery Championship will take place in Hai Phong tomorrow.

About 80 archers representing eight teams, will be competing in the recurve and compound events. The finals will take place next Wednesday.

Transfer market begins to boil ahead of new season

Hoa Phat Ha Noi are chasing the signature of halfback Hoang Danh Ngoc in preparation for the new season.

Ngoc whose contract with Nam Dinh will end at the end of this year will replace winger Nguyen Van Vinh who said goodbye to Hoa Phat after the V-League ended on August 22.

The Ha Noi team will welcome defender Anh Tuan from Lam Son Thanh Hoa and is waiting for confirmation of goalkeeper Nguyen Duc Cuong signature from SHB Da Nang. — VNS

Related Articles

• Green cars begin world race
• Students compete in quiz to test ASEAN knowledge
• Tighter measures needed to stop river pollution
• Weightlifter grabs Vietnam’s first Olympic gold at Youth Games
• Heat hits Azarenka at US tennis Open

Quoc leads medal hopes at SEA table tennis tourney

Olympian Doan Kien Quoc and his team-mates Tran Tuan Quynh, Nguyen Nam
Hai and rising star Dinh Quang Linh will all compete in the All-Stars
Southeast Asian Table Tennis Championship starting on September 11 in
Hai Duong city.

Quoc, who qualified for the second round
at the Beijing Olympics, will lead the Vietnamese in a tough contest
against top tour athletes from Singapore and Thailand in the
men's singles.

Known for his left-hand smashes, the
31-year-old is hoping to be on top form in what could be the most
important game of the year.

"Quoc has always been a key
member for Vietnam . He has gained experience in world competitions.
But Tuan Quynh and Quang Linh have also won medals in regional
contests," said Vietnam Table Tennis Federation official Nguyen Duc
Long.

"The tournament, which is being held the first time,
is a crucial test for our players, who've lacked tough competition
throughout the year," Long added.

In the women's division,
the hosts will display their power with top-form sisters Mai Hoang My
Trang and Mai Xuan Hang and teenager Nguyen Thi Viet Linh.

Linh, 16, who won the U15 girls' singles in the Southeast Asia junior
championships in Thailand last year, begins her first competition at
a senior tourney.

As scheduled, athletes will compete in
the men's and women's eight group round-robin competition at Hai Duong's
2,000-seat Gymnasium.

The two top players from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals.

"We're ready to host the tournament. The gymnasium, which was built for
the Southeast Asian Games in 2003 and upgraded last year, will be an
ideal venue for the biggest table tennis event of the year," said
director of Hai Duong gymnasium Nguyen Van Thanh.

Vietnam will send a 24-member squad to compete in the two-day event, which the country will host for the first time.

Quynh was the first Vietnamese player to win the Southeast Asian Championship in 2002./.

Related Articles

• Folk culture research projects announced
• Foreign sea leases deprive locals of living
• Blue seas and unspoiled beaches
• Overseas Vietnamese helps vulnerable students
• New decree hopes to protect holders of convertible bonds