Vietnamese karatedo team target 3-4 golds at SEA Games

The Vietnmese Karatedo team is set to win 3-4 gold medals at the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia.  

Normally, Vietnam only has to compete with Malaysia for the first position in the medal tally, but the host is now a tough rival for both.

Vietnam’s hope for golds will be placed on Nguyet Anh and Bich Phuong as the team’s three veterans Ngoc Thanh, Hai Yen and Hoang Ngan cannot join the squad due to their injuries.

Martial artists competing in the kata (performance) event have trained in Japan and those in the kumite (combat) event have attended a number of international competitions.

Karatedo, scheduled to be held in Jakarta from November 12-14, will have 17 sets of medals.

Vietnam draws 0-0 with Malaysia

Vietnam’s U-19 men’s football team, coached by Hoang Van Phuc, settled for a goalless draw against U-19 Malaysia in their Group F opener at the 2012 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-19 Championship qualifiers in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday.

Vietnam started the match with great determination to earn their first three points in the qualifying round, creating several chances to score but failed to convert any of them into goals during the first 45 minutes.

After the interval, the hosts intensified their offense and pressure on the Malaysian side, aiming to break the deadlock. In the 60th minute, U-19 Vietnam missed another chance to take the lead when Sy Sam’s header was saved by the visitors’ goalkeeper Farhan, and no goals were scored in the remainder of the match.

In another game the same day, U-19 Laos caused a big surprise when they tied with U-19 Myanmar 2-2.

U-19 Vietnam will play their second game against U-19 Myanmar at the Thong Nhat Stadium on November 4 while Laos will face the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The 2012 AFC U-19 Championship has attracted 39 qualifying teams which are divided into seven groups. Vietnam is in Group F along with Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Vietnamese Tarung Derajat martial artists aim for SEA Games gold

Vietnam aims to win at least one gold medal in the Tarung Derajat martial art events at the upcoming 26th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Indonesia next month.

Tarung Derajat, or AA Boxer, is a new category making its debut at the biggest sporting event in the region.

The sport, created by Haji Achmad Derajat based on his experience as a street fighter in 1960s Bandung, Indonesia, is a full-contact martial art focusing on stand-up fighting, kicking, punching, grappling and vital point strikes.

Vietnamese athletes took home one silver medal at the pre-SEA Games Tarung Derajat Tournament held earlier in Jakarta on September 29-30.

So far, nine out of ten Southeast Asian countries have officially registered to compete in the sport including host Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Timor Leste, Brunei, the Philippines and Myanmar.

Paragliders hope to fly to victory at SEA Games
 
A HCM City paragliding team has been chosen to compete at the 26th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Indonesia next month, the National Sports Administration said.

It's the first time the sport has been included at the biggest regional sporting event since the first SEA Games in Thailand in 1959.

The 10-member team began training at airports in HCM City, Dong Nai Province's Bien Hoa City, Phan Thiet and Da Lat City, aiming for gold medals from November 12-22.

The team will be competing in the men's and women's singles and team events for 12 medal sets.

"We want to win at least one gold medal at our SEA Games debut. It's the first time the team will have played abroad against tough competition from Thailand, the Philippines and the hosts," said Can Manh Hung, the team coach.

"We difficulties during training last month because of rain and storms in southern provinces. We are also in need of sponsorship for the event," Hung said.

The paragliding squad is one of six teams along with the basketball, roller sport, climbing, dance and golf teams who will compete at the SEA Games under their own funding.

The sport, which was imported into the country in the 1990s, has attracted about 100 participants training mostly in Ha Noi and HCM City.