VN squad gets set to hit the beach

Viet Nam will compete at the third biannual Asian Beach Games (ABG) in Haiyang, China next June.

Local athletes will partake in seven out of the 12 scheduled events including beach volleyball, beach sepak takraw, dragon boat racing, beach woodball, beach kabaddi and beach basketball.

Viet Nam sent 63 athletes to the 2nd ABG in Muscat, Oman in 2010. They came home with four silver and three bronze medals to rank 13th out of 45 competing nations and territories.

At the first ABG in Bali, Indonesia in 2008, Viet Nam ranked eighth out of 42 countries by winning two gold, five silver and three bronze medals.

The fourth ABG will be held in Phuket, Thailand and Viet Nam will host the fifth ABG in 2016 in the central city of Nha Trang. It will be a good opportunity for Viet Nam to promote its people and its many beautiful beaches.

It will be Viet Nam's second time as host to a multi-sport event after Ha Noi held the Asian Indoor Games in 2009.

Viet Nam wins seven golds, one bronze at Singapore Open

Vietnamese martial artists have won seven golds and one bronze at the Singapore Karate Open.

Among the gold medallists were athletes including Vu Thi Nguyet Anh (50kg), Le Bich Phuong (55kg), Tran Hoang Yen Phuong (61kg) and Nguyen Minh Phung (75kg).

The tournament is the Vietnamese team's first preparation this year for the 26th Southeast Asian Games.

They will also take part in tournaments scheduled to take place in Indonesia, South Korea and Turkey.

Ha Noi take lead with six golds at national wushu champs

Ha Noi took the lead at the National Wushu Championships on Thursday after winning six gold medals, one silver and three bronzes in the first day of competition in the taolu (performance) event.

Nguyen Manh Quyen, who won a bronze medal at the Asian Games in China last year, finished with two gold medals.

Ha Noi's other gold medals went to Duong Thuy Vi, Nguyen Viet Cuong, Hoang Thi Phuong Giang and Nguyen Thanh Tung.

HCM City are second with two golds, three silvers and four bronzes, with Quang Ninh in third with one gold, one silver and one bronze.

The event has drawn the participation of 98 athletes who are competing at HCM City's Phan Dinh Phung Gymnasium.

Contest to find young sports ambassadors launched

The Ministry of Education and Training has launched a national contest to identify young sports ambassadors.

Dai Su The Thao Hoc Duong (Teen Sports Ambassador) 2011 aims to raise awareness among youth of how sports improves health and popularise sporting activities in schools as well as in the community.

Students aged 16 to 18 are eligible to enter the contest to be held at the end of June.

Two winners – a boy and a girl – will get VND40 million (US$1,900) each and a trip to Indonesia for the 26th SEA Games in November.

Marksmen to compete for Cup at national shooting tourney

The 18th National Shooting Cup competition will start tomorrow at the National Sport Training Centre shooting range in Ha Noi.

More than 150 marksmen in teams including Ha Noi, HCM City, the Army, Hai Duong and the Public Security have registered to compete in the seven-day event.

There will be 14 events for men and 10 for women in both individual and team categories.