Bodybuilders bring home silver medals

Luong Hong Ngoc, Dinh Kim Loan and Tran Anh Thong all won silver medals at the ongoing World Bodybuilding Championships in Thailand.

Ngoc made a great international debut to become the world's first runner-up in the youth women category while Loan finished second in the women's U48kg pool.

Thong, who is expected to become a world champion in the future, finished second in the men's under-60kg category. It was Thong's second silver this year after the Asian championships.

In other events, Le Hoai Thuong pocketed a bronze in the men's 160cm event. World champion Nguyen Thi My Linh failed to defend her title after finishing fourth in the women's over-50kg, and Tran Thi Cam Tu was out of the top three in the women's fitness event. Tu was last year's world bronze medallist and this year's Asian silver medal holder.

Women's football team moves up in world ranking

The Viet Nam women's national football team have moved up one step to 30th place in the latest FIFA rankings for the fourth quarter of the year, with 1,640 points.

FIFA added points for their title in the recent Southeast Asian Football Championships.

Viet Nam placed second in the Southeast Asian rankings, just one point behind world No 29, Thailand. Myanmar and Indonesia are third and fourth with 1,536 and 1346 points respectively.

World No 3 Japan continue to lead in Asia with 2,110 points, ahead of the Australia, 1,943 points, and North Korea, 1,943 points.

Sai Gon Heat to take on Malaysia Dragon

Sai Gon Heat will host Westports Malaysia Dragon of Malaysia in HCM City on January 12 in the team's first game of the 2012 ASEAN Basketball League.

Sai Gon Heat, who will be representing Viet Nam at the region's premier basketball competition for its second season, finished its first season quite impressively.

After a poor start, the team, coached by American Jason Rabedeaux, bounced back strongly to sixth position in the overall table.

Last season's champions, the Indonesia Warriors, will face runners-up San Miguel Beermen of the Philippines in the season's opener played in Jakarta on the January 11.

The same weekend, Singapore Slingers will take on the Chang Thailand Slammers.

Six participating teams will play each other four times during the regular season that is scheduled to end on May 19.
The top four will advance to the playoff stages, which will be decided by a best-of-five semi-final and final matches.

The champions will be crowned in June.

VN footballer invited to train in Portugal

Young Vietnamese footballer Nguyen Thai Sung has been invited to train with Sporting Lisbon's under-21 team.

Sung, a member of the SHB Da Nang's U19 squad, confirmed the invitation but said his decision would depend on his managers. Sung, who spent three years training at Qatar's Aspire Institution, is recovering from a recent foot operation.

Bui Xuan Hoa, deputy chairman of SHB Da Nang, said the two sides were working together to come to an agreement.

FIFA supports Vietnam's young football

FIFA has decided to provide the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) with US$500,000 for training new U15 talents following the success of the Goal Project in Vietnam, according to VFF Chairman Nguyen Trong Hy.

A total of 100 young players will be selected to attend a two-year training course. If at least 35 graduates of the course meet FIFA standards, the organisation will dole out more funding for the VFF to expand the training model.

The Goal Project was an initiative of FIFA President S.Balter, which allowed member associations to receive funding for football development projects that respond to the specific need of each nation.

In the first phase of the Goal project, the VFF received funding from FIFA to build its headquarters in Hanoi. In the second phase, FIFA provided US$400,000 to Vietnam to build a training centre for young footballers.

VNS/VOV/VNA