Quang Nam golf course among elite

The Montgomerie Links golf course in the central province of Quang Nam has been included in the Forbes Travel Guide list of Asia's 10 Most Elite Golf Courses, the management board told Viet Nam News yesterday, Oct 2.

The list included prestigious courses in Japan, Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Bali, Thailand, China, Hong Kong and Viet Nam at the Asia Pacific Golf Summit in Thailand last December.

The 18-hole course layout, which was designed by eight-time European Order of Merit winner and 2010 Ryder Cup-winning captain, Colin Montgomerie, was named by Viet Nam Golf Magazine as Viet Nam's best course.

"Inclusion in the Forbes Travel Guide list is another milestone for the course and facilities, including the Estates villas development, in an area that has quickly become recognised as the place to play golf in Viet Nam," said Montgomerie Links' general director, Jon Tomlinson.

"Nowhere else in Asia has the combination of wonderful coastal land that is perfect for golf, beautiful beaches, cultural attractions and new high quality tourism infrastructure."

Fencer Den wins bronze at junior champs

HCM City's Nguyen Phuoc Den won a bronze medal in the Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships' cadet boys' epee event which is ongoing in Bali, Indonesia.

Den defeated three strong rivals to enter the semi-finals match where he lost 11-15 to a Chinese fencer.

The other Vietnamese representatives are Phong Thanh Cam and Tran Thi Thuy Linh, all from the HCM City fencing team.

Asian fencers from 41 countries in the Oceania Fencing Confederation have taken part in the championship with some 380 athletes officially registered to vie in the event.

The tournament will continue until October 9.

Karate fighters snatch five golds

Vietnamese athletes packed a punch as they came away with five gold medals from the Southeast Asian Karate Championships which wrapped up in Thailand on Sunday.

The team also grabbed seven silvers and 12 bronzes to rank fourth overall, trailing Malaysia who earned nine golds, Indonesia with eight golds and hosts Thailand with seven gold medals.

The Vietnamese will next compete at the world championships in Istanbul, Turkey in November.

Cities vie to host 2019 Asia Games

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has this week sent a three-strong Evaluation Committee to the three cities bidding to host the 2019 Asian Games.

Led by OCA Vice President Syed Arif Hasan, who is also the President of the Pakistan Olympic Association, the OCA Asian Games Evaluation Committee will visit Surabaya of Indonesia, Ha Noi of Viet Nam and the United Arab Emirates' Dubai from today to October 9.

During their visit, the Evaluation Committee members will also meet with government officials, the National Olympic Committees and city representatives. They will also tour the venues to assess the each candidates' capabilities.

The delegation arrives in Ha Noi on Friday and will work here for three days.

At the 31st OCA General Assembly in Macau, on November 8, a vote for the host city will be organised.

The 16th Asian Games was held in Guangzhou, China, two years ago, while the 17th edition will take place at Incheon, Korea, from September 19 to October 4 2014.

VietNamNet/VNS