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
