Five countries attend Hanoi Int’l Aikido Festival

Nearly 200 athletes and coaches of 23 delegations from five countries and territories around the world have gathered for the Hanoi International Aikido Festival being held in Hanoi from October 28-30.

Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs.

Aikido was created by Morihei Ueshiba (14 December 1883 – 26 April 1969), referred to by some aikido practitioners as Osensei ("Great Teacher"). Ueshiba envisioned aikido not only as the synthesis of his martial training, but as an expression of his personal philosophy of universal peace and reconciliation.

The martial art entered Vietnam 50 years ago. Currently, it has been developed in many cities and provinces over the country such as Hanoi, HCM City, Danang, An Giang, Khanh Hoa, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

The sports has attracted 3,000 athletes to 12 clubs in the capital city.

Vietnam pursues Asiad, SEA Games dreams

Vietnam has set its sights on becoming one of the top three nations at the SEA Games and among the top 10 in the Asiad under a sports development strategy for this decade approved recently by the Government.

Hoang Vinh Giang, general secretary of the Vietnam Olympic Committee, said this was not aimed merely at winning medals but also to integrate with the Southeast Asian region.

The International Olympic Committee had only admitted 28 new Olympic sports in more than a century though there are hundreds of sports around the world.

Thus the SEA Games was an arena for playing and exchanging local sports which provided spiritual sustenance for the region’s 600 million inhabitants, he said.

Without the SEA Games, Vietnam’s martial art, Vovinam, may not have had a forum, he pointed out.

Since the region remained far behind the world in many sports, Vietnam and other regional nations should compete in their own backyard first to catch with the rest of the world, he said.

At the Olympics, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, and other regional nations had so far won no more than a combined 20 gold medals, while Japan bagged 16 golds at just the 2004 games in Athens.

The Vietnamese government had given a nod to bid for the 2019 Asiad, he said, adding US$300 million would be spent to upgrade sports facilities if the nation won the right to host it.

Vietnam has ranked in the top three on medal tally at recent SEA Games.

21 under-23 footballers to leave for SEA Games Monday

German coach Falko Goetz of Vietnam will shortlist the national U-23 football team, currently with 23 players, down to 21 before leaving for Indonesia next week to partake in the 26th Southeast Asian Games to be held from November 3-22.

After the end of the Eximbank Cup on Sunday, the coach decided to remove three players from the team -- Tan Dat from Khatoco Khanh Hoa FC, Van Nam from Nam Dinh, and Tan Cong of Binh Duong.

On October 30, the team will have a friendly match with the artists’ team of Ho Chi Minh City.

“Preparations for SEA Games are almost done now. I want them to have a game of fun and relaxation with the artists and to avoid possible injuries,” the coach said.

At present the U-23 team has three goalkeepers: Buu Ngoc, Tuan Manh and An Do and eight defenders Long Giang, Thanh Hao, Huynh Phu, Anh Quang, Xuan Hieu, Ngoc Anh, Quoc Long and Au Van Hoan.

It has now eight players on the midfield line and four strikers on the front with one of them on each line to be removed.

Midfielders are Trong Hoang, Thai Duong, Van Binh, Ngoc Thinh, Thanh Trung, Thanh Luong, Manh Dung and Hoang Thien; and four strikers – Van Quyet, Tuan Anh, Dinh Tung and Van Thang.

Last week, the national U-23 team ranked second at the invitational Eximbank Cup in Hanoi, after the winning team Uzbekistan.

Viet Nam eye gold at SEA Games Kempo Shorinji event

Vietnamese martial artists have set their sights on at least one gold in Kempo Shorinji when the event makes its Southeast Asian Games (SEA) debut at the upcoming Games in Indonesia next month.

The team is currently being coached by married couple Ho Nhat Thong and Nguyen Thi Huyen Dieu, two of the country's most famous taekwondo artists.

Thong won gold medals at the SEA Games in 1997 and the Asian Games in 1998, while his wife won golds at four consecutive SEA Games and a bronze medal at this year's world event.

"I spent most of my time researching documents and watching videos on this sport to find a suitable way of playing it with Vietnamese martial artists," said Thong.

"It is really hard but I like challenges and the chance to improve my knowledge of kung fu," he added.

The team is also being supported by two Indonesian experts.

At the recent pre-SEA Games Kempo Horinji Tournament at the Gelanggang Gymnasium in Jakarta, Indonesia, Viet Nam won three gold medals, three silvers and six bronzes.

Kempo Horinji was established by Doshin So as a system for self-improvement and training in Japan in 1947. He based the discipline on Shaolin kungfu.

The training methods are based on the philosophy "spirit and body are not separable" and "train both body and spirit." Shorinji Kempo is often credited with having the three benefits of self-defence and training, training the mind, and promoting health.

Trial race attracts international athletes

More than 500 athletes are expected to participate in the first-ever vertical run to be held on Sunday at HCM City's tallest building, the Bitexco Financial Tower, included on CNNGo's list of 20 iconic skyscrapers in the world.

Participants will climb 1,002 steps to a height of 178m leading to the tower's observation desk on the 49th floor, where they will be rewarded with spectacular views of HCM City's skyline and the Sai Gon River.

The run has been selected as a trial race for the 2011 Vertical World Circuit (VWC), where the top runners will be vying for a total cash prize of US$5,000.

The first-prize male and female winners will each receive $1,500 and gain crucial points to be declared the world champion at the end of the year.

In addition to an overall cash prize, the three fastest runners in each category will receive a trophy, a limited edition Adidas sports bag and drink bottle.

The first place winners of each category will receive a pair of Adidas newly launched Adizero Feather running shoes.

The inaugural event will feature a mix of two-thirds locals, and one-third tourists and expatriates from 24 countries, hailing from as far away as the UK and Canada.

Among the elite athletes, the reigning male and female vertical world champions Thomas Dold of Germany and Melissa Moon of New Zealand will be in Viet Nam for the first time in a bid to defend their world titles.

Dold has won 27 straight stair races, including the Empire State Building Run-Up in New York City, which he has won six times.

New Zealander Melissa Moon, also a two-time world mountain-running champion, won the Empire State Building race in New York City last year on her first try.

Chartered flights on standby for VN fans
 
The Vietnamese Football Fans' Club will co-ordinate with Vietnam Airlines to charter special flights for Vietnamese football fans wanting to attend the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Indonesia next month.

Viet Nam Airlines will operate two flights from Ha Noi and HCM City on November 19 if Viet Nam secures a place in the semi-finals of the men's fooball event.

"If the national U-23 team makes the semi-finals at the SEA Games, there will be about 1,100 fans flying to Indonesia to support the team," said Tran Song Hai, deputy chairman of the association.

If the team makes the finals, there will be two more flights on November 21.

The association will screen qualifying round matches on large screens at HCM City's Hoa Lu Stadium and Ha Noi's Giang Vo Exhibition Centre.

Viet Nam will compete in Group B against the Philippines, Myanmar, East Timor, Brunei and Laos.

Group A, in turn, will consist of defending champions and favourites Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia.

As the runner-up team from the last Games, Viet Nam have been seeded second at this year's tournament.

TA