VietNamNet Bridge – A 12-member HCM City men's basketball team will compete in the Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia next month, the city's basketball federation's general secretary Nguyen Thi Nga said yesterday, Oct 4.

The team will leave for Jakarta on November 10 before the region's biggest sporting event kicks off the following day, concluding on November 22.

The HCM City basketball federation's general secretary said the team had been seeking sponsorship to compete in the SEA Games after the National Sports Administration decided to send the team under their own funding earlier this month.

"We're honoured to represent the country's basketball at the biggest regional sporting event and the city's federation has endeavoured to raise funds for the team's costs at SEA Games," Nga told Viet Nam News in a telephone interview yesterday.

"The team really want to show their strength at the event against tough rivals from the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and the hosts, who Viet Nam have not played against since the Philippines Games in 2005," she added.

The team will include two top stars Phan Van Luyen and young forward Trinh Han Minh, 24, who made their debuts at the SEA Games.

The last SEA Games also saw Viet Nam's golf and dance teams compete with their own funds.

Although basketball has been an Olympic Games sport since 1932, the national sports administration has been reluctant to promote it as one of the country's top sports, doubting whether Viet Nam could be successful.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News