Int’l women’s volleyball tournament opens

The sixth international women’s volleyball tournament began in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang on February 18.

Present at the opening ceremony were provincial leaders and representatives from Vietnam Television (VTV) and the Vietnam Volleyball Federation along with 2,000 supporters.

The event this year draws the participation of four domestic teams, including VTV-Binh Dien, LienVietPostBank, Vietinbank, and Pacific Petro Construction and Installation Corporation (PPC). They compete against four foreign clubs: Australia’s national team, China’s Jiangsu club, the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Yang Sang club and Thailand’s Air Asia Suansunanthan club.

The eight teams will be divided into two groups to play in a round robin format to select four group winners for the semi-final games.

The organizing board will award a cash prize worth US$12,000 for the championship. Another prize worth US$7,000 will go to the second place team. The third and fourth place teams will be given US$5,000 and US$2,000, respectively. The consolation and style prize-winners will be awarded US$1,000.

Prior to the opening ceremony, a match between LienVietPostBank and the RoK’s Yang Sang club was held. LienVietPostBank defeated the RoK’s club with a score of 3-0.

Tran Quang Lap, Vice Chairman of Hau Giang provincial People’s Committee, and head of the organizing board, said the tournament provides an opportunity for the province to introduce its land and people, and culture to international friends, and for domestic teams to experience the competing styles of foreign clubs.

Vietnamese football aims to enter Asian top 10 by 2030

Developing Vietnamese football until 2020, with a vision to 2030, was discussed at a recent seminar held by General Department of Sports and Physical Training in Hanoi.  

In the 2012-2020 period, Vietnam will focus on training young players and developing professional football clubs.

The country has targeted winning the AFF Cup and SEA Games two or three times, having the men's team rank 15th in Asia and the women's team rank 6th or 7th, and entering the third World Cup qualifying round for the Asia-Pacific region.

Between 2021 and 2030, the women's team will strive to reach the Asian top 5 while the men’s team will strive to reach the Asian top 10.

Young players will be trained in football academies and training centers that are financially independent of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and its clubs.

To achieve these targets, the Department will concentrate on improving the quality of the national squads and local leagues and developing professional and amateur football, training young and talented footballers as well as human resources for managing and organizing football related activities.

Female Vietnamese wrestler wins Asia silver medal

Vietnam’s Tran Thi Dieu Ninh bagged a silver medal in the 55kg freestyle wrestling event in Hgumi, the Republic of Korea on February 17 at the 2012 Asian Wrestling Championships.

Nine athletes competed in the 55kg category. Dieu Ninh was exempt from the first round and qualified for the quarter-finals, where she met her Kazakh rival, Aizan Ismagulova.

She defended herself strongly throughout the match and took advantage of Ismagulova's weaknesses to score points.

Dieu Ninh’s other challenge was wrestler Gulina Kubatbek Kyzy, also from Kazakhstan. Ninh launched successfully counterattacks to overcome her opponent.

After defeating the two competitors from Central Asia, Dieu Ninh entered the final round to face Japanese rival Kanako Murata, age 29, who has won the Japanese wrestling championship 10 times.

After this tournament, Dieu Ninh will prepare for the Olympic qualifying rounds.

Young Vietnamese boxers to train in UK

Young Vietnamese boxers will take a one-month course organized by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) in the UK.

The athletes, including Vuong Thi Vy, Nguyen Van Hai and Luong Van Toan as well their instructors will be provided with airline tickets, accommodation, local transport, meals, and training facilities.

A welcoming message on the AIBA reads, “The youngest participant in the training camp will be Vietnam's bright future hope, current AIBA Junior World Woman Boxing Champion, Vuong Thi Vy, who will be celebrating her 17th birthday this year. She claimed the first ever Vietnamese gold medal in a world-wide event and will be debuting amongst the elite athletes at the camp in Wales.

”Vietnam is hoping for an Olympic quota and President's Cup silver medallist, Nguyen Van Hai and 22-year-old Luong Van Toan, who claimed a gold at the recent 26th Southeast Asian Games, both have a chance to make history.”

After the course, Hai and Toan will compete at an Asian Olympic Qualifying Event on April 4-13, while female boxers will participate in the Asian Boxing Championships on March 16-23 in Mongolia.

To prepare for these important qualification competitions, 2011 Junior World Boxing Championship silver medallist Duyen and her colleagues will attend a training course in Thailand at the end of February.