T&T set for Da Nang showdown

Comeback: Top striker Le Cong Vinh (right) of Ha Noi T&T will be back in action after a prolonged injury. — VNS Photo Quang Thang

HA NOI — The national football league resumes play today after a three-week Tet holiday break with a match between defending champions Ha Noi T&T and SHB Da Nang in the capital city.

The match is considered entrepreneur Do Quang Hien's own personal derby, as the businessman owns both teams.

The winner of the game will receive a huge bonus from Hien, who has urged both teams to compete in the spirit of fair play.

This is only the third season that Ha Noi T&T have been completing in the V-League- Eximbank Cup, but they have always won against Da Nang when playing at home.

In addition, Ha Noi T&T are in high spirits following victories in the first two matches of the season. They currently top the table, while Da Nang stand sixth following a victory and a loss.

Ha Noi T&T's fire power received a substantial boost today with the news that top national team striker Le Cong Vinh will be in the line up for the match, his first match after an injury eight months ago.

Vinh said he was very keen to get back into action.

"I have totally recovered and feel very strong," he said. "I hope I can play with the same skill as before my injury."

Vinh's return is a major boost for the team, which is seeking to extend its lead in the league.

Coach Phan Thanh Hung revealed that he added Vinh to the list of substitutes for today's game, and the striker will be allowed to play if he is needed.

"It is possible that Vinh will come off the bench," said Hung. "I will give him a chance to compete but it is not good for him if he is forced to play too much."

Apart from Vinh, T&T are also welcoming back former national player Thach Bao Khanh, who was rested for a month due to an ankle injury. Khanh, who joins the club from Thanh Hoa, is a tough midfielder and will make Hung's line-up more solid.

Former champs Da Nang also boast a strong line up. In preparation for the season, coach Le Huynh Duc has brought home several top players, including former national team captain Nguyen Minh Phuong.

Phuong will be a key player during the match, along with Argentinean Gaston Merlo who was the top goal scorer during the last two seasons and has scored twice already this season.

Duc and his players travelled to Ha Noi on Wednesday to familiarise themselves with the capital city's cold.

In the other matches tomorrow, Ha Noi ACB will play Hoang Anh Gia Lai at Hang Day; Vicem Hai Phong will face Dong Thap at Hai Phong's Lach Tray Stadium; hosts Ninh Binh will meet former champions Dong Tam Long An in Ninh Binh Province; Lam Son Thanh Hoa will clash with Navibank Sai Gon at Thong Nhat Stadium in HCM City; two-time winner Becamex Binh Duong host dark horses Khatoco Khanh Hoa at Go Dau, and in Vinh, Song Lam Nghe An welcome Hoa Phat Ha Noi. — VNS

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Thanh Hoa coach receives V-League touchline ban

Coach Le Thuy Hai of Thanh Hoa will be banned for two matches after his reaction to a referee decision.

Hai exchanged angry words with referee Ngo Quoc Hung during a match between his team and Hoa Phat Ha Noi three weeks ago. As a result of the altercation, Hai will be banned from the touchline when his team host Navibank Sai Gon at Thong Nhat Stadium tomorrow and for the following fixture against Ha Noi T&T in the capital city next Friday.

Referee Hung suspended the match for five minutes and gave Hai a red card that sent the coach to the stands.

Hai will also have to pay a VND5 million (US$230) fine to the Viet Nam Football Federation's Disciplinary Department.

Vietnamese hotshots to play in world pool tournament

Viet Nam will send two representatives to the World 8-ball Pool Championship in Dubai, UAE, on February 19-26.

Nguyen Phuc Long and Do Hoang Quan have received an invitation from the organisers as they are among Asian leading players.

The 112 cueists will be divided into 14 groups playing in a round robin format which will start on Sunday to next Thursday.

Two top players in each group will advance to the knock-out round. The winner will be awarded US$40,000. — VNS

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GM Liem retains Aeroflot crown

Mind games: Vietnamese International Grand Master Le Quang Liem won the Russian International Chess Festival Aeroflot Open in Moscow for the second time in a row. — VNA/VNS Photo Quoc Khanh

HA NOI — Despite a spectacular loss against Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria in the penultimate round on Wednesday, Vietnamese Grandmaster (GM) Le Quang Liem won the Russian International Chess Festival Aeroflot Open in Moscow for the second time in a row.

HCM City-born Liem came back strongly with a solid draw against Rauf Mamedov of Azerbaijan in the final round.

The Vietnamese GM was among 130 candidates with highest FIDE ratings competing in the tournament for a prize of 20,000 euros (US$29,300). Liem finished with 6.5 points following four wins, three draws and one loss.

GMs Nikita Vitiugov and Evgeny Tomashevsky of Russia finished runners-up after winning their final matches against Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria and Sanan Sjugirov of Russia, respectively.

The victory means world No 79 Liem qualifies for the Sparkassen Chess Meeting in Dortmund, Germany, this summer, where he finished second last year behind Ruslan Ponomariov.

Group B was won by GM Tigran Kotanjian from Armenia, who edged out GM Darwin Laylo of the Philippines and GM Nikolai Kabanov of Russia on a tiebreak. Armenia experienced more success in the Group C with David Shahinyan and Tigran Simonian making it a one-two for the Balkans nation.

Liem, 20, also won the 4th Kolkata Open Grandmaster Tournament in 2009, the Zhejiang Lishui Xingqiu Open, and finished equal third in the 8th Asian Continental Individual Open Championship.

In February last year, Liem tied for first in the Aeroflot Open with Konstantin Chernyshov, Evegny Bareev and Ernesto Inarkiev. — VNS

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Vietnam poetry festival highlights Uncle Ho

The late President Ho Chi Minh was in the spotlight at Vietnam Poetry
Day, held at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi on February 17,
an annual event to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

The event, featuring poems about Vietnam ’s first president,
celebrated the 100 th anniversary of Uncle Ho leaving the nation in his
quest for national salvation (1911) and the 70 th anniversary of his
return to his native land after dozens of years living abroad.

The event opened with a ritual bringing water from Pac Bo spring in
the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang, which sheltered the
national leader during his first days of return, and an earth ritual to
bring a handful of soil from his native village in the central province
of Nghe An to the cultural temple as sacred objects of the event.

The Vietnam Writers’ Association President, Nguyen Huu Thinh, himself
a poet, presented a poetry collection about the late President
including 30 poems by foreign authors such as Madlain Riffaud.

A similar event with the same topic was also held in Ho Chi Minh City
on the same day, drawing over 350 members of the municipal writers’
club and hundreds of poetry lovers./. 

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Le Quang Liem retains Aeroflot title

HA NOI – Despite a spectacular loss against Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria in the penultimate round yesterday evening, Vietnamese Grandmaster (GM) Le Quang Liem won the Russian International Chess Festival Aeroflot Open in Moscow for the second time in a row.

Later yesterday evening, HCM City-born Liem came back strongly with a solid draw against Rauf Mamedov of Azerbaijan in the final round.

The Vietnamese GM was among 130 candidates with highest FIDE ratings competing in the A tournament for a prize of 20,000 euros (US$29,300). Liem finished with 6.5 points following four wins, three draws and one loss.

GMs Nikita Vitiugov and Evgeny Tomashevsky of Russia finished runners-up after winning their final matches against Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria and Sanan Sjugirov of Russia, respectively.

The victory means world No 79 Liem qualifies for the Super Tournament in Dortmund later this summer, where he finished second last year behind Ruslan Ponomariov.

The B tournament was won by GM Tigran Kotanjian from Armenia, who edged out GM Darwin Laylo of the Philippines and GM Nikolai Kabanov of Russia on a tiebreak. Armenia experienced more success in the C tournament with David Shahinyan and Tigran Simonian making it a one-two for the Balkans nation.

Liem also won the 4th Kolkata Open Grandmaster Tournament in 2009, the Zhejiang Lishui Xingqiu Open, and finished equal third in the 8th Asian Continental Individual Open Championship.

In February last year, Liem tied for first in the Aeroflot Open with Konstantin Chernyshov, Evegny Bareev and Ernesto Inarkiev. – VNS

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Windsurfers gear up in Mui Ne

HCM CITY — Nearly 50 windsurfers from 12 countries will take part in the 12th Fun Cup windsurfing competition tomorrow at Mui Ne in the central coastal province of Binh Thuan.

The athletes are from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, the US and host Viet Nam.

They will be divided into men's and women's divisions.

Windsurfers will sail in a figure-eight-shaped course with a distance of 2,400m for female athletes and 3,200m for males.

The Fun Cup is an annual slalom windsurfing race that has been organised by Jibe's Beach Club since 2001. Last year, Cyril Moussilmani took top prize, American Jimmy Diaz came in second and Chris Pressler of Austria finished third.

A week after Fun Cup, the world windsurfing tournament called The 2011 Vietnam PWA Grand Slam will be organised from February 25 to March 5 in the same venue.

According to the organisers, there are 12 officials from PWA, 116 professional windsurfers (20 females) and 12 international journalists from many countries and territories registered to attend the event.

The competition includes two disciplines: slalom with a figure-eight course and freestyle and judged by PWA officials.

The Viet Nam Grand Slam is the first of four Grand Slams annually staged by Professional Windsurfers Association around the world.

Three other tournaments organised later are the 2011 Aruba Hi Winds Grand Slam in Aruba June 19-26, the 2011 Sotavento Fuerteventura from July 22-August 1, and the 2011 Sylt Super Grand Slam in Germany. — VNS

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Rising star Thien moves up ITF world junior rankings

On the move: Teenager Nguyen Hoang Thien has moved up the International Tennis Federation's junior rankings. — VNA/VNS Photo Quang Nhut

HA NOI — Young Vietnamese tennis player Nguyen Hoang Thien has moved up seven places from 241st to 234th in the world junior ranking this month, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced.

Thien got into the federation's U18 Group 4 semi-finals in the men's singles in the Tennis Central 18&under ITF Summer Championship in New Zealand last week and won the men's doubles.

The HCM City product hopes to reach the federation's top 100 junior ranking within the next two years.

Thien, who became the first Vietnamese player to get to an Australian Open Junior Championship, returned to the country yesterday.

The 16-year-old won the Viet Nam International Junior Championships in Binh Duong and Bac Lieu last year.

In 2008, he beat Amer Naow of Syria in the boys' singles final and a silver medal doubles at the Asian U-14 Championships in Bahrain before cruising in the boys' singles final of Asian Juniors Circuit Tennis Tournament in Chandigarh, India.

As scheduled, Thien will take part in four tournaments within a month from next Friday in Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines.

He will then travel to France for training and competition until the end of the year, working with two coaches to improve his performance on clay. — VNS

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