Local broadcasters to stop airing EPL Sunday matches

HCMC - Local broadcasters, who have not hold the exclusive broadcasting rights of the English Premier League (EPL) in Vietnam, will stop airing EPL Sunday matches, Luu Vu Hai, chief of MoIC’s Radio, Television, and Electronic Information Department had concluded after its meeting with K+ channel and MP & Silva last week.

On behalf of the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC), Hai has certified that MP & Silva distributed the exclusive broadcasting rights to EPL Sunday matches in Vietnam for only VSTV, which owns K+ channel.

MP & Silva asked to meet with the MoIC to prove its exclusive broadcasting rights of EPL matches in Vietnam. In the meeting on August 26, the Ministry of Information and Communications confirmed that K+ channel holds the exclusive broadcasting rights to Sunday matches of the EPL in Vietnam.

The Ministry of Information and Communications will announce an official statement to local broadcasters as well as Thailand’s True Sport channel to stop airing EPL Sunday matches in Vietnam soon. Though True Sport is licensed in Vietnam, but they have to obey copyright rules. MoIC will ask local broadcasters to not take EPL Sunday matches from True Sport, Hai explained.

MP & Silva’s representative Beatrice Lee said that her company was satisfied with the meeting’s result and pleased with local state agencies in their intervention in the copyrights law violation. MP & Silva are glad if K+ reaches agreements to share Sunday matches with other broadcasters, she said.

Beatrice Lee said her company is willing to distribute these matches as well as Liga or Serie A with other channels in Vietnam, but K+ bought the exclusive rights to air these matches.

In Vietnam, MP & Silva distributed broadcasting rights of Saturday and Monday matches to several channels. However, the Hanoi Cable Television (HCTV) channel and some provincial channels still air live Sunday matches from Thailand’s True Sport channel.

HCTV stated it will stop airing Sunday matches once K+ and MP & Silva prove their exclusive rights in Vietnam or prevent True Sport from airing Sunday matches in Vietnam.

K+ won a contract for a three-year exclusive right to broadcast the world’s most popular football leagues. When K+ holds the exclusive right, Vietnamese audience, though having paid for other paid TV services, will have to pay more VND1.5 million for a decoder and monthly subscription fee of VND 250,000 to K+ to see these matches.

Vietnamese TV channels that broadcast the EPL: Saturday and Monday matches on Bong Da TV and The Thao TV (Vietnam Cable Television – VCTV), VTC-HD (VTC), HTV2 (HCMC Television), SCTV15 (Saigon Tourist Cable TV), K+ (VSTV) and H1 and H2 (Hanoi Television).

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Season ends with Song Lam Nghe An National Cup win

Dinh Dong of Song Lam Nghe An fights for the ball with Van Nhien of Hoang Anh Gia Lai (top) during their V-League football match at Thong Nhat Stadium in HCMC on Saturday - Photo: Ba Chau

HCMC –Song Lam Nghe An won the National Cup 2010 after defeating two-time V-League champions Hoang Anh Gia Lai 1-0 at HCMC’s Thong Nhat Stadium on Saturday.

Hoang Anh Gia Lai were still confident of a win even though the Central Highlands-based team started the game without left winger Le Van Truong, midfielder Nguyen Thai Duong and goalkeeper Shihavy. Brazilian strikers Evaldo Goncalves and Tiago De Paula, and Thai-born midfielders Nirut Surasiang and Sakda Joemdee, however, played from the kickoff.

Central-based Song Lam Nghe An, who won the cup twice in 2001 and 2002, were also confident with 2003 Golden Ball award winner Pham Van Quyen and national defender Nguyen Huy Hoang in their line-up.

Song Lam Nghe An strengthened their line-up earlier this year by signing Nigerian Abdulrazak Ekpoki and newly naturalized defender Helio, however, Bosnian Rajko Vidovic, who has scored 11 goals this season, was absent as he could not recover from his knee injury in time.

Both teams put pressure on in the first minutes, aiming to gain victory but the game got off to a wet start because of heavy rains. The player’s skills were affected by the rain and they did not control the ball.

With good ball possession, Song Lam Nghe An forwarders dominated the game and they nearly scored when striker Pham Van Quyen hit the post. Abdulrazak Ekpoki opened for Song Lam with a header in the 24th minute.

The second half was marred by heavy rain, Hoang Anh Gia Lai placed pressure on Song Lam’s defending line while Song Lam played defensively and relied on rare counter attacks to ensure their victory.

Despite strong attacks, Hoang Anh players created some scoring chances in the second half, but left the score at 1-0. Abdulrazak Ekpoki failed to score for Song Lam as his kick touched cross bar in the 82nd minute.

Hoang Anh Gia Lai beat SHB Danang 4-2 in a penalty shootout in the semifinal match while Song Lam Nghe An crushed Nam Dinh 3-0 in the second semifinal match in the National Cup 2010.

Song Lam Nghe An won the trophy and VND350 million (US$18,000). SHB Danang and Nam Dinh both ranked third.   

Vietnam’s National Football Cup 2010 drew 26 teams including 14 teams from the country’s V-League and 12 teams from First Division.

The National Cup’s final marked the end of Vietnam’s 2009-2010 football season. The new season will begin in December with the Super Cup match when V-League champions Hanoi T&T will meet National Cup winners Song Lam Nghe An.

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Zaccheroni becomes new Japan coach

Coach Alberto Zaccheroni

Photo: Reuters

Former AC Milan and Juventus manager Alberto Zaccheroni has been named as the new coach of Japan, the country's governing body announced on Monday.

The Japan Football Association (JFA) said the 57-year-old had reached an agreement to take charge of the Blue Samurai and would hold a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday, bringing an end to a two-month search for a new national coach.

The identity of Japan's next coach had taken an intriguing twist earlier in the day when local media offered contrasting opinions on who was poised to take over.

According to Nikkan Sports, former Argentina manager Jose Pekerman was going to be named as coach later in the day.

However, the Daily Yomiuri, and Italy's La Repubblica, correctly reported that Zaccheroni had agreed to a two-year deal to succeed Takeshi Okada.

Dutchmen Marco van Basten and Ronald Koeman had also been linked with the Japan job while the delay in naming a coach had triggered criticism of the JFA.

Okada defied expectations by guiding Japan to the last 16 of this year's World Cup in South Africa, where they were beaten on penalties by Paraguay.

Zaccheroni is expected to take up his role after next month's home friendlies against Paraguay and Guatemala.

The Italian's first task is to lead the side at the Asian Cup in Qatar in January.

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Woods qualifies for next FedExCup event after closing 67

Tiger Woods of the US laughs as he walks up the 18th fairway during the final round of the Barclays golf tournament in Paramus, New Jersey August 29, 2010

Photo: Reuters

Tiger Woods finished strongly at the Barclays tournament on Sunday, a four-under 67 clinching a spot in the second FedExCup series event next week.

The world number one, yet to win this season, had to be in the top 50 to remain in the lucrative playoffs and qualified with ease as he closed with a seven-under 277 total.

"I'm very pleased," said Woods who felt his ball-striking was good all week. "If I had just putted well for all four days, I'm right there.”

“I drove it pretty much on a string all week and really controlled my irons," he told reporters.

"Unfortunately I didn't putt well in the middle two rounds."

Competing after his divorce from wife Elin became final on Monday, Woods tried to focus on swing adjustments.

He was satisfied for the most part and said he hoped to put it all together as he progressed through the FedExCup, which he won last year to pocket the US$10 million bonus as overall points leader.

After starting out in 112th place, with 100 players qualifying for next week's Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston, the American's display at Ridgewood Country Club put him back on track for the series.

"I'm looking forward to it, the next three events, the next three venues I've won on," he said looking ahead to the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship.

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Vietnamese photographer wins int’l award

Tran Viet Van, a reporter of the Lao Dong (Labour) daily newspaper, has
won seven Honorable Mention Awards at the International Photography
Awards by the Lucie Foundation in the US.

The contest drew 15,000 entries by thousands of photographers from 103 countries worldwide.

Van’s awarded works include five photo sets in the portrait, photo
story, art and people categories. They are named Tuong tran thoi binh
(General in peacetime), Vi tuong tran lich lam (Gentle General), The
gioi ao va thuc (Virtual and real world) (two sets) and Bi an Tay Nguyen
(Mystery of Central Highlands).

In April, the
reporter took the public voting title for his photo named Sand Story 4
in the environment category at the second International Online Digital
Photo Competition held in Cyprus.

Early this year,
he also won the fourth prize for a photo entitled Mua Thu Hoach (Harvest
Season) at the Worldwide Photography Gala Awards and a Merit Award for
the photo Mua Xuan Dang Toi (Here Comes the Spring).

Last year, Van took home 14 photography prizes at home and abroad./.

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Federer and Clijsters to lead parade of champions

Roger Federer of Switzerland speaks during a media conference at the US Open tennis tournament August 28, 2010

Photo: Reuters

Switzerland's Roger Federer and Belgian Kim Clijsters are among five former champions in action on a busy opening day at the US Open Monday.

The pair will be joined by Americans Venus Williams and Andy Roddick in playing their opening matches on the Arthur Ashe center court while another former champion, Australian Lleyton Hewitt, begins his campaign on the Louis Armstrong stadium.

Federer won the men's championship five times on the trot from 2004 to 2008 but will not start the event as the defending champion after his loss to Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro in last year's final.

Del Potro is absent this year because of injury but another Argentine, Brian Dabul, will be in the spotlight when he faces Federer in the first round.

“Maybe there is an extra incentive for me to try to win it again after being two points away last year,” Federer told reporters. "It was a disappointing loss for me, I felt like that was one of the finals I should never have lost.”

"At the end Del Potro played great and deserved the victory, it was a tough one to swallow."

With Del Potro away, Clijsters is the lone defending champion. She plays Hungarian Greta Arn first up.

Clijsters won in 2005 but did not get the chance to defend her title in 2006 because of injury. She missed the event in 2007 and 2008 after taking time out to start a family before a fairytale return last year.

"I'm so excited to be back to defend my title,” she said. “This is a first for me."

Roddick, who won his only grand slam title at New York in 2003, has been plagued by illness in recent months but the prospect of returning to the center court has given him a boost.

He plays Frenchman Stephane Robert in his first match which coincides with his 28th birthday.

"Birthday or no birthday, you come in to try to win one," he said.

"I don't think too much about age, numbers, whatever. I'll play till I can, until I feel like I shouldn't anymore."

Williams, who will fly the family flag after her sister Serena withdrew because of a foot injury, won the US Open in 2000 and 2001 and was runner-up in 1997 and 2002, has also been troubled by injuries but said she was fit and raring to go in her first match against Italian Roberta Vinci.

"Theoretically I've had more rest than everyone, I should be fresh," Williams said.

Hewitt, who won here in 2001, is one of two Australians in action at Louis Armstrong Stadium. He plays Paul-Henri Mathieu of France after Samantha Stosur, this year's runner-up at the French Open, faces Elena Vesnina.

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Vietnamese Culture Festival held in Berlin

The Vietnamese Culture Festival has been held in Berlin, Germany,
to mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the
Vietnam-Germany diplomatic ties.

The two-day
festival that wrapped up on August 29 included a photo exhibition on
Vietnamese land, people and culture, traditional martial arts, folk song
and dance performance.

The festival also featured a
display of Vietnam’s handicraft products as well as the nation’s
culture, tourism and cuisine.

Addressing the opening
ceremony on August 28, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son, who is
also Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, spoke
highly of the initiative to host the festival in Germany, saying
that it is a good opportunity to enhance the exchange between the two
peoples.

Berlin Deputy Mayor Harald Wolf said that
the relationship between Germany and Vietnam has become closer
over the past 35 years through the exchange of experiences, culture and
high ranking delegations as well as political and economic activities.

There are around 20,000 Vietnamese people in Berlin,
said Wolf, adding that the Vietnamese community in Berlin now has a
stable position in the society, contributing to diversifying Berlin’s cultural life./.

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