The Viet Nam national football team's Japanese coach Toshiya Miura yesterday (May 7) inducted four U23 players into the national team to prepare for the 2018 FIFA World Cup's Asian Zone Qualifiers.

The four players are half-backs Vo Huy Toan and Tran Phi Son, full-back Nguyen Minh Tung and striker Nguyen Cong Phuong.

It is the first time Son and Phuong have been included in the national team. Tung and Toan wore the Viet Nam team jersey at the AFF Suzuki Cup last year.

Earlier, Miura called only 19 players for the qualifying round.

Viet Nam will meet Thailand in the opening Group F match in Thailand on May 24.

Before heading to Thailand, Viet Nam will have a friendly match with North Korea at National My Dinh Stadium on May 17.

Jung-Han Heo wins Three-Cushion Carom Billiards Open

Jung-Han Heo of South Korea won HCM City's Three-Cushion Carom Billiards Open on Monday.

Heo Jung Han of South Korea won HCM City's Three-Cushion Carom Billiards Open on Monday. -- Photo kozoom.com

Jung, the world number 23, defeated veteran Vietnamese player Ly The Vinh in the semi-final and Vinh's teammate Ma Xuan Cuong, world number 35, in the final.

Notably, Cuong beat world number one Sung-Won Choi of South Korea in the quarter-final.

The three-day event, in which 32 players from South Korea and Viet Nam competed, was a warm-up for the World Cup that will be held in HCM City in August.

Racers to compete in Long An drag race at industrial zone

Eighty-eight racers will compete in the first-ever 400m drag race in Cau Tram Industrial Zone in Long An Province on May 16&17.

A deputy chairman of the Viet Nam Cycling and Motor Sport Federation, Au Xuan Don, said, "Motor racing on drag strips is fast developing in Southeast Asian countries, but it is the first time Viet Nam is organising this sport. This event is a turning point for Viet Nam's integration into the region and world. I hope the tournament will attract more fans."

The covered 20,000-seat area is ready for the two-day event, which is being jointly organised by the federation and the provincial department of culture, sports and tourism.

Tennis player Nam withdraws from clay court tournament

Top Vietnamese tennis player Ly Hoang Nam will withdraw from the Men's Future Croatia F9, to be held from May 11 to 17, due to a procedural problem.

The tennis tournament, played on clay courts, was expected to help Nam prepare for the French Open 2015 at Roland Garros, Paris, which begins on May 31.

However, Nam will still leave for Europe to compete in the Italian Open from May 18 to 24, to win points for the world junior rankings.

After that, Nam and his coach Christian Brydniak will head to Sweden for a short training session, before moving to France.

Following his success in recent tournaments, 18-year-old Nam is ranked 14th on the world junior table, making him a seeded player at the junior French Grand Slam tournament.

VNS