Vietnam jumps 5 places in FIFA rankings

The Vietnamese men’s football team has moved up to 129th position in the latest International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) rankings.

It tops other Southeast Asian countries in the March rankings, followed by Thailand (135th) and the Philippines (145th).

Spain still ranks first in the world rankings, Germany second and Argentina third while Portugal is placed seventh.

The next FIFA rankings will be announced on April 14.

The national team have organised a friendly match with V-League side Ha Noi T&T this Saturday at the Ha Nam Stadium.

The match, which will kick off at 5pm, will be free of charge.

According to the Viet Nam Football Federation's deputy chairman Nguyen Lan Trung, the VFF wishes fans in remote provinces like Ha Nam to have the opportunity to cheer on the national team.

The friendly will help Viet Nam hone their skills ahead of their important match against Hong Kong in the Asian Cup qualifiers on March 22.

Kien Giang hosts annual run

The Tien Phong Newspaper Run and Half Marathon will be held in the beautiful beach province of Kien Giang's Ha Tien Town on March 24.

The event, in its 54th year, is expected to draw the participation of both amateur and elite athletes, with more than 230 runners already registered.

Men and women will compete in the half marathon (21km), and there will also be a men's 10km, a women's 5km and various other distances for children and teenagers. Their results will be counted in both individual and team rankings.

They will compete for up to VND130 million (US$6,200), the highest prize money in domestic athletics.

The nation's top runners are all expected to compete apart from Asian and Southeast Asian champion Truong Thanh Hang who is recovering from a foot injury.

"The Tien Phong Run is an annual tournament so everyone has time to prepare for it. This year, it doesn't clash with any other national or international athletics meetings, so the athletes will be giving 110 per cent," said Nguyen Manh Hung, deputy general secretary of the Viet Nam Athletics Federation.

"Let's wait and see but I believe that records will fall and new faces will be discovered in Ha Tien."

At the first race in 1958 in Ha Noi, there were 72 runners including Czechoslovakia's Emil Zatopek, who set world records five years in a row from 1948-53. He also won an Olympic gold in Helsinki in 1952.

Organisers said they hoped that more international athletes would take part in future events.

Hue to host short-course swimming championships

Around 18 athletes will compete in the National Short-Course Swimming and Finswimming Championship at Thua Thien-Hue Aquatic Sports Centre on March 16-23, the Viet Nam Aquatic Sports Association said.

Finswimmers from 10 teams nationwide will contest for 24 medal sets on March 16-18, while the swimmers take part in their competition from March 19-23 in a 25m pool.

All national team members will also take part in the event as a crucial test following the break for the Tet holidays.

The HCM City and Ha Noi teams have been touted as leading contenders for the championship.

HCM City destroy Thai Nguyen Steel in national championships

HCM City crushed Thai Nguyen Steel and Cast Iron 7-0 in the second round first leg of the National Women's Football Championship in the northern province of Ha Nam on March 13.

Kim Hong and Huynh Nhu scored two goals each for HCM City, while Tran Thi Bao Chau, Vo Thi Thuy Trinh and Phan Thi Trang added to the tally.

The win puts HCM City second in the table on four points while Phong Phu Ha Nam lead the pack with six points.

Six teams are playing in the annual event. The first leg of the championship will run until March 26 using a round robin format. The second leg ties are scheduled from June 9 to 22 at Ha Nam Stadium.

VNN/VOV/VNS