VietNam Culture: Viet

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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Ha Noi set for inaugural lawn bowling tourney

The first Ha Noi Lawn Bowling Open will start from tomorrow to Sunday at Ha Noi-based My Dinh Sports Centre.

The event will attract six clubs from Ha Noi, Gia Lai, Phu Tho and Quang Ninh.

Viet Nam is the sixth country to develop the event in Southeast Asia. Vietnamese Ha Kha Luan, chairman of the Ha Noi Club, is the first deputy chairman of Southeast Asian Lawn Bowling Federation.

Lawn Bowling will soon get under way in HCM City, Nha Trang, Kien Giang and Nam Dinh to develop a strong force in preparation for international events such as the World Lawn Bowling Championship and Asian Beach Games.

Vietnamese archers take silvers at Asian Grand Prix

Archer Nguyen Tien Cuong took a silver medal at the three-stringed bow event, or compound, in the first round of the Asian Archery Grand Prix in Thailand on Tuesday.

Cuong defeated many strong rivals and was only defeated by former Chinese Atlanta Olympics and Sydney Olympics champion Tang Hua.

The gold medallist in the same event in 2008, Cuong and his team-mates also pocketed a silver medal at the men's team event.

Vietnamese archers will continue to compete in the second round in Vientiane in Laos on April 21-27 and the third round in Dakha, Bangladesh, on May 25-31.

Asian football's honcho to visit Viet Nam on Sunday

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) chairman Mohamed Bin Hammam will pay a visit to Viet Nam on Sunday.

He will attend the HCM City League tournament as part of the Vision Viet Nam-Vision Asia programme organised by the AFC.

This programme was developed in Viet Nam in 2004. It was implemented successfully in Long An and HCM City.

An AFC Vision Asia team will visit Hue at the end of February to assess the suitability of the Vietnamese city for the implementation of the Vision Asia development programme. — VNS

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

VN set for new sepak takraw cup

Viet Nam will take part in the first sepak takraw World Cup to be held in Malaysia on July 21-14.

Viet Nam is regarded as one of the strongest teams at the tournament, which will see 24 men's and 12 women's teams competing at the Titiwangsa Gymnasium in Kuala Lumpur.

Badminton tourney set for March

The Ciputra Ha Noi Challenge badminton tournament will kick off on March 29 with the participation of players from China, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and New Zealand.

The annual event has a top prize of US$15,000 awarded in the men's and women's singles and doubles and mixed doubles categories.

The finals are scheduled for April 3 at the capital's Trinh Hoai Duc Gymnasium.

FA Cup trophy to tour Viet Nam

The FA Cup will tour Viet Nam next month following an agreement signed on January 29 between the English Football Association (FA) and the Viet Nam Football Federation.

The exhibit will tour Ha Noi, Da Nang, HCM City and Can Tho.

A report by the FA shows that the 140-year-old competition, the oldest domestic football competition in the world, is broadcast in 160 nations and territories across the world, attracting over 1.4 billion spectators.

The FA Cup was first held in 1871-72. It involves clubs of all standards playing against each other, including "minnows" from lower divisions and giants from the English Premier League.

The holders of the FA Cup are Chelsea, who beat Portsmouth in the 2010 final to complete an FA Cup and League double.

The tour is sponsored by Big Cola. — VNS

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Park Ji-sung to play in Viet Nam

HA NOI – South Korean football star Park Ji-sung is planning to play in a charity match in Viet Nam.

Park, who plays for Manchester United, will line up alongside fellow teammates Patrice Evra and Edwin Van de Sar along with former Juventus hitman Pavel Nedved and Manchester City's Carlos Tevez.

The match, which is scheduled for June 15, has received support from the Viet Nam Football Federation who also said they were making detailed plans in preparation for the event.

Park's agent company is looking into a suitable venue for the game and money raised through ticket sales will be given to the VFF to develop the nation's junior football movement.

Park, who played a key role in South Korea's World Cup 2010 campaign, also introduced his JS Foundation that focuses on charitable activities in Southeast Asia on Wednesday.

Park said goodbye to the national team in January after winning his 100th cap in a match against Japan during the Asian Cup.

Park has played in three World Cups, scoring in each tournament, and is one of the greatest Asian players ever to put on a football shirt. – VNS

Friday, January 28, 2011

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

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Cyclists to race to Phnom Penh

Cyclists from Laos, Cambodia and Thailand will take part in a four-day Viet Nam cycling race to Cambodia to mark the latter's New Year Festival in April.

The 600km race will start in HCM City and finish in Phnom Penh on New Year's day, which usually falls on April 13-14 at the end of the harvesting season.

The race, which is being co-organised by Viet Nam's People's Army Newspaper and the Viet Nam Cycling Federation, offers prizes totalling VND2 billion (US$100,000).

"It will be a good opportunity for Vietnamese athletes to hone their skills," said race organiser Do Nam Thang.

The organising committee will offer prizes to the overall yellow jersey (the best time rider); green jersey for the best stage finish athlete and white jersey, for the best young cyclist.

In 2004, the newspaper organised a 1,212km race from Ha Noi to Dien Bien Province to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Viet Nam's victory over French forces.

In 2006, a HCM City Television cycling race was held between HCM City and Laos.

Calisto to review Cup failure

Viet Nam Football Federation and Portuguese coach Henrique Calisto will meet to review the failure of the men's football team at the ASEAN Football Championship, AFF-Suzuki Cup last year.

The team, who won the regional event in 2008, were defeated 2-0 on aggregate by old rivals Malaysia in a two-leg semi-final.

Malaysia eventually went on to clinch the title after a 4-2 win over Indonesia in the final.

VFF's National Team Coaching Department will discuss with Calisto, who recently returned to Viet Nam after a holiday in Portugal, the team's performance at the AFF Cup, which was co-hosted by Viet Nam and Indonesia, and plan for the 2012 London Olympics and 2014 World Cup Qualifiers.

The 58-year-old took over the U-23 team and the national team at the same time as part of a three-year contract signed in 2008.

The national team also failed to qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup, in Qatar.

Course targets golfing talents

A rules and umpire training course will be held at the Twin Doves Golf Club in the southern province of Binh Duong on March 15, announced the Viet Nam Golf Association (VGA) yesterday.

The course, the first of it's kind, will be co-organised by the VGA in conjunction with the Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A) for Vietnamese golfers and umpires.

Lecturers from R&A will hold three short-course classes for Vietnamese trainees.

The VGA is developing a programme to identify talented young golfers in schools across the country from next year.

Adventure races at Cat Tien

The fourth edition of the Madagui Trophy will be held on March 5-6 at Cat Tien National Park.

Madagui Trophy is an adventure sport event with three different entrant levels: Adventure is for sport fans who are beginners to adventure racing; Extreme is for high level sportsmen and Ultra is for experienced racers only.

Athletes will learn to get comfortable with being uncomfortable and find their through adversity to reach the finish line, organisers said.

Entrants from China, the US, the UK, Switzerland, France, New Zealand, Singapore and Viet Nam will compete in the event.

For more information see www.vietadventure.vn. — VNS

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Female ref to attend London Olympics

Two female Vietnamese referees have been assigned by FIFA to officiate in the preliminary round of football for the London Olympics, the Viet Nam Football Federation announced yesterday.

Mai Hoang Trang of HCM City and assistant Kieu Thi Thuy of Ha Noi will be in charge of the women's qualifiers next year.

Trang and Thuy were approved by FIFA in 2007.

Viet Nam has three FIFA accredited female referees and two assistants.

Last year, FIFA also called up four male referees – Vo Minh Tri, Phung Dinh Dung, Nguyen Ngoc Ha and Nguyen Hoang Minh – to officiate over two men's qualifiers.

The federation has also submitted Vo Quang Vinh of Khanh Hoa and Hoang Anh Tuan from Ha Noi to FIFA for approval this year.

FIFA regulations state that member countries should nominate 20 men as qualified referees or linesmen each year, but Viet Nam presently lacks qualified personnel.

After match fixing scandals rocked the nation in 2007, around 40 referees and officials were suspended pending a police investigation.

Volleyball Federation to get new head

The Volleyball Federation of Viet Nam (VFV) will appoint a new general secretary for the next five-year term, the federation announced at a recent press conference.

Current VFV general secretary, Tran Duc Phan who was assigned as head of the national sports administration's elite sport department last year, decided to withdraw from the federation after an executive board meeting last week.

At the meeting, the VFV also agreed to hire a foreign coach for the men's national team, and host the Asian Women's Clubs Championship on May 15-25.

Volleyball was the second sport, after football, to become professionalised four years ago.

Thien anticipates Auckland progress

Teenager Nguyen Hoang Thien will compete in the Auckland 18 and Under ITF Summer Championship from January 31 to February 5.

Thien, 16, who became the first ever Vietnamese player at the Australian Open Junior Championship last week, will spend Tet (Lunar New Year) in New Zealand in preparation for the event.

The HCM City boy, who has gained 40 singles wins, is hopeful of reaching the International Tennis Federation's top 100 junior ranking within the next two years.

He moved up 10 places from 232nd to 222nd in the ITF's ranking this month. — VNS

Monday, January 17, 2011

VTV agrees on V-League's broadcasting rights

HA NOI – Viet Nam Television (VTV) and Viet Nam Cable Television (VCTV) have reached agreements concerning V-League's broadcasting rights after two weeks of negotiations with cable TV provider Audio Vision Global (AVG).

As scheduled, VTV will broadcast live 20 of total 91 matches in the first leg of the national premier football championship, V-League, while VCTV said it will telecast 38 matches.

However, Viet Nam Multi-Media Corporation (VTC) and Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV) have yet to finalise their negotiations with AVG.

Last week, AVG said it had sold V-League's 91 broadcasting rights of first leg matches to local television stations for VND40 million (US$2,000) each.

AVG won a 20-year contract with the Viet Nam Football Federation (VFF) last December to broadcast V-League matches worth VND6 billion (US$300,000) per year.

AVG, which is licensed to operate a satellite and digital television service, plans to officially launch a 70-channel TV package late this year.

The V-League will kick off on January 23, and Vietnamese fans will be able to watch matches on VTV's channel 3 and Football TV.

The national football championship has been a money maker for the VFF since 2004 when VTV paid VND4 billion ($200,000) to broadcast V-League matches.

Under the deal, the VFF and its sponsors take 40 per cent of the fees, while the two participating teams share the remainder. The host team takes 40 per cent and the visiting team 20 per cent. – VNS

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Hung wins HD Bank chess trophy

HA NOI — Viet Nam's Nguyen Mai Hung claimed the top spot at the International Chess Tournament – HD Bank Cup which ended in HCM City on Sunday.

The 17-year-old grandmaster grabbed 4.5 points over the nine rounds. By doing so, she equalled the scores of three other rivals but ended up taking the title because of her better sub-index.

Hung, from Bac Giang Province, had previously won a gold medal at the National Sports Games which helped her to become Viet Nam's No 1 master.

She needs just one standard to become Viet Nam's fifth – and youngest ever– International Female Grandmaster and is expected to earn this at a training course in Hungary this summer.

It was a great tournament for Viet Nam's women with Hung's teammates Pham Le Thao Nguyen and Nguyen Thanh An coming second and third at the HD Bank Cup.

On the men's side, the No 1 seed Le Quang Liem of Viet Nam had a disappointing event, earning fourth place overall with 6.5 points, half a point less than event champion Yu Yangyi of China.

Chinese Wen Yang and Filipino Gomez John Paul were the two runners-up on the men's side of the draw. Liem said he wasn't too worried about his performance here.

"In general, I had a fairly good tourney although I wasted several chances to improve my position. But this is normal in chess. I do not have to worry about my performance here because results at this tournament don't influence my Elo rating," said Liem who ranks 79th in the world.

"In 2011 my target is to reach the rating of 2,700, which is the level for a super International Grandmaster (IGM)," added Liem whose present Elo rating is 2,664.

Other male Vietnamese players failed to make top three. IGM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, the former world U10 champion was at fifth. While Nguyen Anh Dung and Dao Thien Hai suffered losses in early round. — VNS

Monday, January 10, 2011

Sprinter Huong tops list of outstanding athletes

Sprinter Vu Thi Huong topped this year's poll on Viet Nam's most outstanding athletes and coaches.

Huong, 25, who won a bronze medal in the women's 100m and a silver in the 200m in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, notched up 1,213 points in the poll. She edged out teammates Truong Thanh Hang, who came in with 1,208 points to make the top ten list; Karateist Le Bich Phuong, who won Viet Nam's only gold medal to salvage Vietnamese pride in the martial arts competitions at the Asian Games, ranked third with 1,047 points; and badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh placed fourth.

Swimmer Vo Thanh Tung topped the list of disabled athletes with 550 points. He won a gold medal in the men's 50m freestyle at the Asian ParaGames for disabled athletes in Guangzhou, China last December.

Runner-up was badminton player Pham Duc Trung, who also grabbed a gold in the Asian ParaGames, gaining 480 points from the selection. Another badminton player, Hoang Pham Thang, placed third, winning 376 points.

In the coaches category, coach Ho Thi Tu Tam won 463 points to take the top spot. The army's karate coach, Le Cong, took second ahead of track and field coach Nguyen Dinh Minh. Badminton coach Le Thuy Nga was voted the top coach for disabled athletes.

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.

A gala to honour athletes and coaches will be held in Ha Noi next month.

Football legend Pele to visit Viet Nam in March

Pele, who is widely considered to be the greatest footballer of all time, is expected to visit Viet Nam in March.

Organisers of the 3rd Buon Me Thuot Coffee Festival to be held on March 10-13 in the Central Highlands province of Dac Lac said the 71-year-old will attend the event as a goodwill ambassador for his native Brazil, which is the world's largest coffee exporter.

In 1999 Pele, born Edison Arantes do Nascimento, was named the Football Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.

In the same year, when French weekly France-Football asked all former "Ballon D'Or" winners to choose their footballer of the century, he again came out on top. — VNS

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.

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 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

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Golf experiences new wave of popularity

by Vuong Tri Dung

HCM CITY — Golf has been played in western countries for centuries and has recently become even more popular all over the world. It will also be added to the Olympics in 2016.

Following an interruption due to war, golf made a comeback to Viet Nam along with the country's global integration.

In recent years the sport has begun gaining popularity with the advent of many good golf courses, domestic and international competitions, as well as the establishment of local golf associations like the Ha Noi Golf Association.

The Viet Nam Golf Association lists some of the highlights of the past year.

1. Golf become a sport at the National Sports Games for the first time, with a competition held at the Ocean Dunes golf club in Phan Thiet. The event, held from August 11 to 14, attracted golfers from 11 provinces and cities. HCM City won the men's event while Ba Ria-Vung Tau won the women's event.

2. The Mercedes-Benz Masters Viet Nam, one of the most important professional golf competitions in Southeast Asia, was organised last October at the Song Be course in the southern province of Binh Duong with 33 top players in the region taking part. Malaysian Nicolas Fung won the title, the first of his career, as the US$60,000 tournament used the match-play format for the first time.

3. Five young Vietnamese golfers qualified for the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final in China. Do Le Gia Dat and Nguyen Tri Dung went through after finishing first and second in the men's U21 event at the Youth National Golf Championships. Ngo Bao Nghi and Luu Thi Viet Nga finished first and second in the women's U21 event. Truong Chi Quan won the final spot with a win in the boys' U16 event.

4. The Viet Nam Amateur Open and Viet Nam Ladies Championships were held in Da Lat in June. The former attracted many top golfers in the Southeast Asia, including the gold, silver, and bronze medallists at the Southeast Asian Games. Thai golfer Wasin won the title while Viet Nam's Trinh Van Tho finished eighth. Ngo Bao Nghi won the Viet Nam Ladies Championships.

5. The Viet Nam Senior Championships was organised for the third straight year at the King's Island golf course in the north in March, with Duong Thanh winning the title.

6. The second Match Play Golf Championships featuring foreign professionals and amateurs working and living in Viet Nam was organised at the Montgomerie Links golf course in the central province of Quang Nam. Nguyen Thai Duong won the overall crown while Australian Scott Riddick won the division for foreign players. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung won the women's event and veteran Phan Thanh Chien finished first in the seniors' event. — VNS

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Viet Nam invite Arsenal for friendly

Viet Nam has invited English Premier League club Arsenal to play a friendly during their Asian tour next year, a source from the British sports marketing firm Strata said yesterday.

As scheduled, the Gunners will play three friendly matches in China and Viet Nam next summer.

The source also said it plans to seek a US$2 million sponsorship deal to pay for the Arsenal friendly.

In 2007, Arsenal established a football academy – the Arsenal-Hoang Anh Gia Lai JMG Football Academy – in a $4 million project with local Central Highlands team Hoang Anh Gia Lai.

The Premier League team also helped to construct a community football school – the Vinamilk-Arsenal Football School in HCM City to teach children to play football.

Last year, Viet Nam failed to invite Manchester United during their tours in Thailand.

Last November, ex-Manchester United and Liverpool including Andy Cole and Steve McManaman played in a two-day competition in Ha Noi.

In 2008, Viet Nam lost to Brazil's Olympic team, which included world stars Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato, 2-0 in a friendly in Ha Noi. — VNS

Friday, December 24, 2010

Liem to play amateurs ahead of Cup

International Grandmaster Le Quang Liem will compete with fans in an exhibition event ahead of the HD Bank Chess Cup in HCM City.

The national top master will play against 20 fans on December 28, with the amateur competitors selected from nearly 50 registrations for the event.

The organisers will present gifts and bonuses for a draw, the best match and the youngest player.

The international HD Bank Cup will be organised on January 4-9 luring more than 100 masters, including domestic and leading rivals in Asia.

A bonus of US$25,000 will be given to the winners.

Nation to host women's U19 tourney

Viet Nam will host the 2010 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-19 Women's football Championship, the Viet Nam Football Federation (VFF) has announced.

A VFF website statement said the AFC has granted Viet Nam the right to stage the tournament which will officially take place from October 6-16 next year.

Hosts Viet Nam will be joined by the top five teams from the last edition – Japan, North Korea, South Korea, China and Australia.

The tournament will have a one-round league format to determine the champions.

Viet Nam grabbed the only ticket to the tournament's finals after finishing ahead of five teams in the second-round qualification with 10 points that came through three victories and one draw. — VNS

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Calisto mystified by captain's retirement

by Tien Thanh

HCM CITY — The captain of the national team, Nguyen Minh Phuong, has decided to retire from international football following Viet Nam's elimination from the AFF Suzuki Cup tournament last week.

National coach Henrique Calisto has denied any knowledge of the decision though Phuong told Viet Nam News that he has informed both the Portuguese coach and the football authorities.

"I am 30 now and feel a little bit old.

"I decided to withdraw from the team because I want to allow young players to get more chances to play for the national team."

Asked about his most memorable moment for the national team, he said without hesitation: "It was when Viet Nam beat Thailand at My Dinh [Stadium in Ha Noi] to lift the AFF Cup trophy for the first time in the history of the tournament."

This was in 2008. In the second leg of the final in Ha Noi, Phuong trapped a free kick and drove the ball to striker Le Cong Vinh who leaped to glance into the far corner to help Viet Nam beat Thailand 3-2 on aggregate.

Phuong made his international debut in 1999 when he played in the Olympic qualifiers and then played for the full national team in 2002. He played 73 times and scored 12 goals.

He won two V-League titles with his former club, Dong Tam Long An.

Phuong has signed a three-year contract with SHB Da Nang for whom he will play in the V-League season that kicks off next month.

Calisto told Viet Nam News: "I have not heard anything about Phuong's retirement. I have not heard any players expressing their desire to retire."

He also refused to talk about changes to the team after the AFF Cup.

He admitted to making some mistakes in the semi-finals against Malaysia but pointed out that the loss of too many important players like Le Cong Vinh and Pham Van Quyen just ahead of the AFF Cup also took a toll.

The Portuguese coach left for home last night for a one-month Christmas break and will return later next month. — VNS

VFF to hold national meeting on Suzuki Cup loss

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

AFF Cup flop needs sober reflection

by Tien Thanh

HCM CITY — Viet Nam's elimination from the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2010 capped a significantly unsuccessful year for national football in the regional arena.

After scaling euphoric heights by winning the AFF Cup in 2008, Vietnamese football has come down to earth, firmly.

After co-hosting the Asian Cup 2007, Vietnamese football experienced considerable progress, culminating in victory at the AFF Cup two years ago.

The next year was also a positive one as the nation's top-tier V-League saw the emergence of former football star, Le Huynh Duc, as a prospective young coach. Duc led Da Nang to a comprehensive win at the nation's top championship.

Meanwhile, Binh Duong made history by becoming the first Vietnamese football club to reach the semi-finals at a continental level competition, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup.

And then the national Olympic team (Under 23) put in an impressive performance on their way to the finals of the 25th SEA Games in Laos.

However, the momentum of the previous three years was not carried successfully into 2010.

In the last 12 months, there has been no promising result in competitions both at the club and national team level at regional competitions.

False dawn

After beating Thailand to take the AFF Cup 2008, many fans, experts and even the players themselves seemed to take it for granted that Vietnamese football level has surpassed other countries, especially Malaysia, as local clubs hammered Malaysian counterparts at the AFC Cup.

Star striker Le Cong Vinh, who scored the decisive goal in the final two years ago to help the country win the first AFF Cup, and missed out this year because of injury, had predicted that Viet Nam would reach the final before the semi-final matches.

An Olympic defender had also said that Viet Nam would beat Malaysia while an official of the Ha Noi Football Federation, said that Viet Nam had reached a certain (higher) class as a result of a highly-competitive football championship, V-League and exposure to international competitions.

These people, however, did not take into consideration the role foreign and naturalised players play in the V-League. The success of V-League as well as clubs like Da Nang and Binh Duong at AFC Cup can be significantly attributed to players like Argentina's Gaston Merlo, South African Philani or Brazilian-born Huynh Kesley.

After a wonderful start with a 7-1 demolition of Myanmar, the team seemed to adopt the pride of defending champions, choosing to go on the offensive against all teams.

This strategy failed both times, against the Philippines and Malaysia.

For football fans, the losses were salt rubbed into the wound of the SEA Games defeat against Malaysia in Laos last year.

The defeats have re-ignited the debate about using naturalised players, but if we take the long-term view for the benefit of the national team, it is better to focus on building a really professional football environment and creating more opportunities for talented young local players to improve their skills. — VNS

Monday, December 20, 2010

VFF announce TV deal

HA NOI – The Viet Nam Football Federation (VFF) officially announced a 20-year deal for the V-League television rights with cable TV provider Audio Vision Global (AVG) last weekend worth VND6 billion (US$300,000) per year.

The national football championship has been a money-spinner for the VFF since 2004, when Viet Nam Television paid VND4 billion ($200,000) to broadcast the V-League.

AVG, which is licensed to operate a satellite and digital television service, plans to launch a 70-channel TV package late next year.

The cable TV provider, a member of the An Vien Group, was established in 2008 with a charter capital of VND1,800 billion ($85 million).

It's the first ever TV copyright to be signed between a private television company and a sports federation in Viet Nam.

AVG also signed a 20-year TV rights contract with the Viet Nam Athletics Federation (VAF) last week.

However, a VAF representative refused to declare how much the deal was worth, but said AVG would broadcast five to seven national tournaments each year. – VNS

To be updated

Hung wins final silver for Viet Nam in 400m

HA NOI — Le Duc Hung added another medal to Viet Nam's tally when he took silver in the men's 400m on the penultimate day of competition in Guangzhou's Asian ParaGames on Saturday.

Hung took second place in the T11 class race with a time of 57.87sec. The closely fought contest ended in a photo finish with line honours going to Thailand's Jorchuy Kitsana.

Hung's teammate Dao Van Cuong, who is the current Asian record holder, finished third in 58.38sec, which was almost three seconds slower than his time of 55.42sec in the previous Games in Qatar.

Cuong set the Asian record of 54.36sec in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics.

Earlier, female duo Kim Van and Hoa Phuong grabbed bronze for Viet Nam in the women's TT6-10 class table tennis. The pair defeated their Filipino rivals 3-2 in the bronze medal play-off match. Hosts China took the champion title after beating South Korea 3-0 in the final.

In six days of competitions, the 57-member Viet Nam earned three gold, four silver and 10 bronze medals, leaving them eleventh overall in the rankings.

The national team did not reach the target that they set themselves before departing for Guanzhou. They had aimed to win at least five golds from the six sports that they took part in.

The poor result was partly attributed to cold weather in the city; this prevented several Vietnamese athletes from competing and stopped others from performing at their peak. — VNS

Malaysia close in on AFF Cup

HA NOI — Malaysia sent Viet Nam crashing out of the AFF Suzuki Cup with a goalless draw in their semi-final second leg at Ha Noi's My Dinh National Stadium on Saturday.

Malaysia made the final of the biennial championship for the first time in 14 years following the 2-0 advantage they earned in Kuala Lumpur four days ago.

After the game, chief coach K. Rajagobal said that although the football might not have been entertaining, they totally deserved the result.

"I cannot express what I feel right now. The players showed the real ‘harimau' – the Malaysian tiger. We knew that it was going to be a tough match but we were confident and we were disciplined in defence and followed the game plan," said Rajagobal.

"The first 15 to 20 minutes were crucial and we knew if we conceded a goal it would spell trouble for us. Our defence was good considering two of them are under 21 years old, it speaks volumes about their future.

"I told them tonight, we must play simple and while it might look ugly, we just have to make the clearance, no matter what. Our captain [Safiq Rahim] is a naturally attacking player but tonight, he was told to play deeper and he did."

The onus was always going to be on Viet Nam and in front of a sell-out crowd of 40,000, the home team wasted no time in pushing forward from South Korean referee Kim Sang-woo's first whistle.

The return of Nguyen Trong Hoang gave more bite on the left flank and he made Malaysian leftback Mohd Asraruddin Putra Omar work overtime to ensure his crosses did not make into the Malaysian box.

In the ninth minute, Hoang shot through a sea of legs but there were no takers at the far post.

Barely a minute later, tragedy struck for Viet Nam with Phan Van Tai Em stretchered off with a suspected broken arm following a clash with Malaysia's Mohd Safee Sali.

His replacement, Le Tan Tai, took over where he had left off and his double shot saw Malaysian goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat rise to the occasion.

Malaysia's only chance in the first half was a curling shot from Norshahrul Idlan Talaha which narrowly missed the upright.

Viet Nam did not let up on the pressure in the second half but they just couldn't seem to find a way past Khairul as he stood firm to frustrate the home team.

In the 62nd minute, Viet Nam should have taken the lead but lanky striker Nguyen Viet Thang could only head Pham Thanh Luong's cross tamely into the path of Khairul.

About ten minutes later, Viet Nam's frustration was complete when Luong took a dive in the box leaving the referee with little choice but to show him his second yellow card of the game.

"I'm responsible for the loss, don't criticise the players. If you need to criticise anyone, criticise me," said Viet Nam chief coach Henrique Calisto at the post match press conference.

"We did not lose here, we lost in Kuala Lumpur and I think that we were the better team over both legs. Sometimes, we win and sometimes we lose – that's life. Show me a coach who never loses.

"The loss of Luong was unfortunate although I agreed with the referee's decision."

Malaysia will meet with Indonesia who defeated the Philippines 1-0 in the second semi-final match yesterday. —VNS

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Malaysia beat Viet Nam 2-0 in AFF

Best foot forward: Midfielder Nguyen Vu Phong (right) attempts to get past a Malaysian defender in the team's semi-final first leg encounter of the ASEAN Football Championship, AFF-Suzuki Cup in Kuala Lumpar yesterday. Malaysia won 2-0. — VNA/VNS Photo Quoc Khanh

HA NOI — Striker Safee Sali's brace saw Malaysia beat Viet Nam 2-0 in the first leg of the ASEAN Football Championship AFF-Suzuki Cup semi-final yesterday.

The loss will mean defending champions Viet Nam will face a hard task in the second leg match at Ha Noi's My Dinh National Stadium on Saturday.

Although starting the game well in the first minutes, the Vietnamese side did little to trouble the well-organised Malaysian defence.

In the 15th minute, captain Minh Phuong launched a grass-skimming 25m rocket heading for the far corner, but Malaysian keeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat made a good save.

The hosts replied five minutes later when Safee's powerful header tested Vietnamese keeper Bui Tan Truong.

Midfielder Vu Phong closed the goalless first half time with a free kick in the 40th minute, which was pushed away by goalie Khairul.

After the break, Coach Henrique Calisto brought on midfielder Nguyen Minh Chau and striker Nguyen Viet Thang to try and force a goal; however, they failed to have much of an impact against Malaysia's well-organised team.

Safee gave Malaysia the lead in the 61st minute as his well-taken free kick beat Vietnamese keeper Truong.

Truong once again held some of the blame for the second Malaysian goal in the 80th minute.

Midfielder Safiq Bin Rahim in a rapid attack fired a 25m shot from the right hand edge of the penalty area, but despite Truong comfortably getting a hand to ball, the Vietnamese contrived to palm it out to a borderline off-side Safee who doubled his goals for the night with a nicely placed shot through the despairing Vietnamese keeper.

Despite Vietnam attempting to rally for the last 10 minutes of the match, sloppy passing and a lack of urgency meant they created few chances of note.

Indonesia will host the Philippines in the other semi-final in Jakarta today. — VNS

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

V-League seeks new sponsor

The Export-Import Bank of Viet Nam (Eximbank) will sponsor the national V-League for the next three years.

The Viet Nam Football Federation announced the prospective agreement yesterday.

Earlier this week, the VFF signed a 20-year deal to provide V-League TV rights to cable TV provider Audio Visual Global (AVG).

AVG, which is licensed to operate a satellite and digital television service, plans to officially launch its 70-channel TV package soon.

The price for the service has yet to be announced.

The agreement will have the VFF and its sponsors take 50 per cent of the fees and the participating teams the remainder - 35 per cent to the home team and 15 per cent to the visitors.

The national football championship has been a money-spinner for the VFF since 2004 when Viet Nam Television paid US$1,590 to telecast a V-League match.

Minh to compete in Chinese Taipei

Viet Nam's Nguyen Tien Minh will be taking part in the Super Series Finals of the Badminton World Federation on January 5-9 in Chinese Taipei.

The world's top ten players will be competing for total prize money of US$500,000.

Minh, ranked sixth in the world, will be up against top seed Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, second seed Peter Gade from Denmark and number three seed Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand. — VNS

Thursday, February 24, 2011

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