Minh seeded No 1 at Vietnam Open
World badminton No 7 Nguyen Tien Minh has been seeded No 1 for the Viet Nam Open Super Series which will kick off on December 2 in HCM City.
Hsu Jen Hao of Chinese Taipei, world No 31, is the second seed while Yunus Alamsyah of Indonesia (No 32) and Avihingsanon Suppanyu of Thailand (No 42) are third and fourth, respectively.
In the women's event, Porntip Buranaprasersuk of Thailand (No 13) is the top title contender.
Vietnamese representatives Vu Thi Trang (No 118) and Le Thu Huyen (No 147) will also compete at the event.
The tournament has a prize purse of US$50,000.
Viet Nam face hard time in Malaysia
Viet Nam will send a team of 13 athletes to the Maybank Malaysia International Challenge badminton tournament in Kuching City for five days from Tuesday.
According to the draw, the Vietnamese will meet difficulties in both qualification and main rounds.
In the men's singles, national No 2, Nguyen Hoang Nam, who is the only one receiving a bye to the main round, will play the tournament's No 6 seed, Wang Tzu Wei, fromTaipei in his first match.
Three other men have to start from the qualification, but all of them will play stronger rivals from Malaysia and Thailand.
On the women's side, Viet Nam's No 2, Le Thu Huyen, also starts at the main round where she meets Kisina S, a powerful athlete from Malaysia.
If she wins this match, No 2 seed, Hsu Ya Ching from Taipei will await her in the second round.
Vietnam currently third at SEA shooting champs
Vietnam took another gold medal at the ongoing 2013 Southeast Asian Shooting Championships (SEASA) in Malaysia on November 8, bringing to 3 the number of gold medals and securing it third place.Bui Quang Nam, Ha Minh Thanh, and Nguyen Huy Quang Phuc won the most recent gold medal in the men’s team 25m pistol. Bui Quang Nam also claimed a bronze in the men’s singles 25m pistol.
Vietnamese marksmen Nguyen Duy Hoang, Nguyen Thanh Dat and Phung Le Huyen won silver in the men’s team 50m rifle competition.
The women’s 10m air riffle trio Le Thi Anh Dao, Nguyen Thi Hang, and Nguyen Thi Xuan earned a bronze medal with 1158 total points.
Vietnamese shooters are contesting women’s air pistol, men’s 25m standard pistol, and women’s 50m riffle events on November 9.
Malaysia is currently leading the medal tally with five gold medals, ahead of second-placed Singapore’s four.
Nam fires his way to gold at Southeast Asia competition
Bui Quang Nam of Viet Nam won a gold medal at the 37th Southeast Asian Shooting Championships' men's 25m standard pistol event in Malaysia on Saturday.
Nam shot 567 points in the final round to draw with competitors from Malaysia and Singapore, but he held his nerve to score 47 points in the play-off to claim gold.
Nam enjoyed more success in the team competition after Viet Nam claimed the silver medal with 1,680 points.
Nguyen Thi Xuan also pocketed two silvers in the women's individual and team 50m prone rifle pools, and the men's double trap duo grabbed a bronze.
In the junior competition, Bui Hong Phong and Phan Xuan Chuyen shared first and second places in the men's 25m standard pistol.
Dong Minh Thanh Truc came third in the women's 10m air pistol while Pham Thi Chau won silver in the women's 50m prone rifle.
The championships will conclude tomorrow. Last year, Viet Nam finished in second place overall.
S Korea gives boost to Vietnamese archers
Viet Nam's archery team will receive strong support from South Korea, helping ensure future successes.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of Viet Nam's archery was signed yesterday between the Viet Nam Sports
Administration, Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Korea and Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Viet Nam in Ha Noi.
The six-year commitment includes exchanges and periodic competitions between Vietnamese and Doosan club's coaches and players.
"This will help us win medals at future tournaments, including the 17th and 18th Asian Games in 2014 and 2019," said Vuong Bich Thang, head of Sports Administration.
Doosan officials yesterday also donated four sets of hi-tech bows worth VND200 million (US$9,500) to their Vietnamese partners.
Doosan's six-member archery team, established in 1994, is the best in Korea. Many athletes have won world and Olympic medals.
Futsal powerhouses to play in HCM City
The HCM City International Futsal Tournament has lured world leading teams for its November 19-22 run at the Phu Tho Gymnasium.
The world champions Brazil, plus the Asian top two of Japan and Thailand will arrive in Viet Nam to compete against the hosts for a top prize of US$5,000.
The two runners-up will receive $3,000 and $1,000.
All matches will be aired live on local television.
Sports festival held for ethnic minority groups
Nearly 500 athletes from 21 ethnic minority groups are competing at a national sports festival, which opened in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on November 10.
The biannual event – the 8th of its kind so far - was held for ethnic minorities in 15 southern provinces and cities.
They are competing in seven sports for both men and women, including football, volleyball, marathon, tug-and-war, archery, Day Gay (stick pushing), and Chay Ca Kheo (running on stilts).
The organizing board will present 34 sets of medals to best individuals and teams at the festival.
The five-day event aims to promote physical training, uphold traditional values and strengthen solidarity among ethnic minority groups in the southern region.
Thai football team triumphs BIDC Cup 2013
Thailand’s young football players won the 2013 Mekong Region U23 International Football Tournament (BIDC Cup 2013) after defeating the Myanmar team 2-0 in the final match on November 10 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Together with the BIDC Cup, the Thai team was also awarded with US$20,000, while the runner up of Myanmar received US$10,000.
Cambodian and Malaysian teams came third at the tournament.
Player Jirawut Saranan and goalkeeper Tossanporn Sriueng, both from the Thai team, were named best player and best goalkeeper, respectively.
Meanwhile, player Khonesavanh Sihavong of the Lao team became the top goal-scorer.
BIDC Cup 2013, sponsored by the BIDC - a subsidiary of the Bank for Development of Vietnam (BIDV), aims at strengthening the solidarity and friendship among people in Mekong Sub-region nations.
The tournament was also a preparation for the upcoming 27th Sea Games.
The six teams participating at the tournament include Cambodia U23, Vietnam U22, Laos U23, Thailand U23, Myanmar U22 and Malaysia U23.
Italian star joins Vietnam’s Tiger Street Football
Former Italian soccer star Fabio Cannavaro will arrive in HCM City ahead of attending the 2013 Tiger Street Football tournament as an honourable ambassador.
Midfielder Cannavaro will observe the final round of fierce competition between Vietnam’s best four teams on November 10. He will meet with the media and conduct exchanges with local fans on November 9.
Cannavaro visited Vietnam last year and received a warm welcome from Vietnamese football aficionados.
As well as winning the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2006, Cannavaro is famous for his contributions as part of Italy’s victorious World Cup squad. He currently coaches Al-Ahli FC in Dubai and is expected to join Real Madrid as an assistant in the near future.
Hanoi, Bac Giang dominate top players badminton tournament
Hanoi played first fiddle in both the men’s singles and doubles, while host team Bac Giang ran the table on the women’s events at the National Badminton Top Players Championships - Li Ning Cup 2013 that concluded on November 9.
Hanoi’s Le Ha Anh finished off his teammate Bui Quang Tuan 2-1 to earn the men’s singles championship, while Hanoi duo Bui Bang Duc and Dao Manh Thang easily won the men’s doubles crown by claiming two straight sets over another Hanoi pair Do Tuan Duc and Pham Hong Nam.
The women’s singles discipline saw a repeat of last year’s final, as Bac Giang’s Vu Thi Trang beat Hanoi’s Le Thu Huyen 2-0 to take top honours. Trang then paired with teammate Nguyen Thi Sen to secure the doubles gold medal for Bac Giang.
The mixed doubles title went to the Army team’s Hoang Hai and Anh Duyen, who breezed to a 2-0 victory over Quang Tri’s Van Chi and Linh Giang.
The five-day tournament gathered 60 prominent players representing 14 teams from across the country. Players contended for medals in the men’s and women’s singles and doubles categories, as well as the mixed doubles.
Source: VOV/VNS/Nhan Dan/VNA