Incentive offered to football team

Players on the Viet Nam national team will receive a bonus of at least VND7 billion (US$350,000) if they successfully defend their AFF Cup title.

The Viet Nam Football Federation (VFF) will contribute VND5 billion ($250,000) while the other VND2 billion ($100,000) comes from VP Bank.

"If they win, they will also get awards from VFF's partners and sponsors," said VFF chairman Nguyen Trong Hy. These could be up to VND10 billlion ($500,000).

After winning the championship two years ago, the team was given VND4 billion ($200,000) by the VFF.

Responding to the news, national team manager Henrique Calisto thanked people for their support but said his players were fighting out of a sense of responsibility and national pride, not for bonuses.

Minh hits career-high ranking

Nguyen Tien Minh rose to a career-high, world No 5 International Badminton Federation ranking last weekend.

Minh climbed three places and now has 51,844 points. He is Viet Nam's highest ranked player.

He kicks off his 14th tournament of the year today at the Hong Kong Open. His rival will be the winner of the match between Dionysius of Indonesia and Hong Kong's Yun Hu.

Lifter Tuan faces doping ban

Weight lifter Hoang Anh Tuan may face a one-year ban after his ‘B' sample tested positive for oxilofrine, a substance forbidden by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The Beijing Olympic silver medallist said he did not use banned substances but had used some flu medicine during his training course in China in October without advice from a doctor. Oxilofrine is one ingredient in many medicines used to treat common illnesses.

Tuan, who was Viet Nam's number one hope at last month's ASIAD, was banned from participating in the event just two days before the opening ceremony.

The lifter is waiting for the final decision from the International Weight lifting Federation. If found guilty, he will receive a minimum one-year ban, and may not be able to join Viet Nam at next December's SEA Games in Indonesia.

Tu, Lan in Olympics judo qualifier

Two Vietnamese judo martial artists will take part in the London Olympics' qualifier in Tokyo on December 11-13.

Van Ngoc Tu who competes in the women's 48kg class and Nguyen Thi Lan, in the women's 54kg pool, are the best of Viet Nam's current crop. They have won international and regional titles.

The Tokyo qualifiers will give fighters a chance to collect more points towards earning a ticket to compete in London in 2012.

Viet Nam target ASIAD golds

Vietnamese track and field athletes can seriously consider winning gold medals at the next Asian Games, according to coach Nguyen Dinh Minh.

"After ASIAD silvers and bronzes, I think that Viet Nam's track and field athletes can now target golds. Before (the ASIAD) it was a crazy thought but now we are close and in other words we could have 'touched' it," said Minh, who coached Southeast Asian sprint queen Vu Thi Huong to 100m bronze and 200m silver medals last month.

Viet Nam also pocketed silvers in the women's 800m and 1,500m and a bronze in the men's decathlon.

These achievements were not thought of when the team departed for the Guangzhou games. All the athletes wanted was to try their best to win Viet Nam's first ever track and field medal at the games.

"My athletes went to ASIAD having not had the best preparations so both coaches and athletes were under pressure, hoping to win an elusive medal. The runners had to try harder every round for their best result," Minh said.

"Viet Nam is starting to become competitive at the Asian level where we have had some success, but it is still along way from being able to make an impact at world competitions. If we receive good support and make plans, some of our athletes will have a chance to not only win an ASIAD gold but also compete on the world stage," he confirmed.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News