Grandmaster Liem ranks 38th in world

Vietnam’s top chess player Le Quang Liem has leaped ten places to 38th in the latest rankings by the World Chess Federation (FIDE).

The outcome was attributed to his recent triumph at the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship. As a result, Liem’s Elo rating was increased six points from 2,703.

Norwegian chess player Magnus Carlsen (Elo of 2,872) remains at the top of the FIDE world rankings.

Liem is currently the number-one ranked player in Vietnam and 7th in Asia.-

VFF announces national U-19 football teams

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has announced the national men's football teams taking part in the National U-19 Football Championship – Ton Hoa Sen Cup 2014 qualifiers.

The 21 teams are divided into four groups for the qualifying round of the tournament, to be held from February 9 to March 6.

Group A includes Viettel, Vicem Hai Phong, the Vissai Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Than (Coal) Quang Ninh and Hanoi T&T; Group B includes Thua Thien – Hue, Thanh Hoa, Song (River) Lam Nghe An, SHB Da Nang and QNK Quang Nam; Group C includes Sanatech Khanh Hoa, Binh Dinh, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Ho Chi Minh City and Tay Ninh; while Can Tho, TDCS Dong Thap, Binh Duong, An Giang and Long An make up Group D.

The teams will battle it out in a double round robin format, both at home and away, to decide the top scorers and overall champions.

Football fever comes to Asia

Vietnam will have the chance to compete in the final round of the Asian Cup 2019 thanks to Asian Football Confederation (AFC) changes.

AFC has decided that after the Asian Cup 2015, 24 teams will compete at the final round instead of the current 16. This means 8 additional teams will have the opportunity to qualify for the biggest football festival in Asia.

As many as 20 teams will compete at the Asian Cup 2015 qualifiers, and the number will be increased to 32 in the following year.

Twelve group winners will vie for tickets to the World Cup. The remaining 20 teams will clash for the last 12 tickets to the Asian Cup finals.

This is a big change, aimed at raising the Asian Cup’s profile and improving Asian teams’ performance

AFC also changed the number of teams taking part in AFC Champions League and AFC Cup and annul AFC President’s Cup.

These changes will take effect after the Asian Cup 2015

The new rules provide a good chance for Vietnam to enter the final round of the Asian Cup.

Vietnam competed at the Asian tournament for the first time in 2007 as the hosts of the event. However, contrary to expectations, Vietnam lost all five group matches.

Swimmers set ASIAD medal target

Its designation as a key sport for investment in 2014 has only heightened the Vietnamese swimming squad’s lofty Asian Games (ASIAD) medal ambitions.

The squad’s many talented athletes include teenager Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, the three-medal winner and two-record setter from the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar.

Anh Vien’s ASIAD gold medal dreams will be supported by a recently approved General Department of Sports and Physical Training US$200,000 (VND4 billion) investment fund. Her long 2013 US training programme cost over VND1 billion.

She has returned to the US to train with coach Dang Anh Tuan and foreign experts and compete within the Grand Prix championship system.

Vietnam Water Sports Association General Secretary Dinh Viet Hung said, “Anh Vien’s US training course not only aims at Asiad 2014 but also looks toward the 2016 Olympics and especially the 2019 ASIAD, hosted by Vietnam.”

Anh Vien’s teammates Quy Phuoc, Duy Khoi, and Kim Tuyen will also receive special training.

The squad’s 2014 competition calendar includes the 2nd Southeast Asian Swimming Championships in Singapore, the FINA World Swimming Championships in Qatar, the Beach Games in Thailand, and the Youth Olympic Games in China.

Vovinam martial arts tournament held in Algeria

A Vovinam (Vietnamese martial arts) yellow belt tournament was held on February 8 in the Algerian capital Algiers.

The tournament, organised by the Algiers provincial Vovinam Federation with Nadi Mostakril Vovinam club, was participated by 150 practitioners from 28 clubs in the province, of whom five won the yellow belts.

The Algeria Vovinam Federation (FAVV) was founded in August last year in Algiers.

The former Chairman of the National Vovinam Commission of Algeria (the official body before the FAVV), Djouadj Mohamed, was elected the first president of the federation.

Vovinam is participated with and without weapons. Based on the principle of between hard and soft, it includes the training of the body as well as the mind. It uses the force and reaction of opponent.

Thanh Hoa stay on top of V-League

Thanh Hoa yesterday came from behind to beat Becamex Binh Duong 2-1 to maintain the top position in the V-League.

Playing on home ground, Thanh Hoa suffered strong attacks from Binh Duong from the first second of play.

The visiting side scored first, just nine minutes after the whistle. National team member Nguyen Trong Hoang kicked off a counter-attack with a perfect pass to Abass Dieng Cheikh, who broke Thanh Hoa's confusing defenders to pass the ball to Nguyen Anh Duc in the box. Duc completed his scoring with an accurate tap-in.

With strong support from home fans who filled all seats at the stadium in the cool weather, Thanh Hoa gradually fought back.

At the 17th minute, Slovenian World Cup participant Nastja Ceh levelled for his side from a free kick. The ball that touched a Binh Duong's defender changed its direction and went into the net under the helpless eyes of goalkeeper Nguyen Quoc Thien Esele.

The strong push encouraged the hosts to speed up the attack with consecutive threats. They had their second goal just minutes after the break. Midfielder Mai Tien Thanh of Binh Duong let his hand touch the ball in the box and Ceh had his double with a perfect penalty shootout.

Binh Duong's new technical director Le Thuy Hai tried to change the situation, asking his players to increase their attacks.

Step by step they set up their domination again, but still failed to score.

With three wins and one draw after four rounds, Thanh Hoa, on 10 points, could ensure their leading place in at least two weeks, as they have three points more than the closest runners-up, Quang Ninh Coal.

Quang Ninh had a big jump in the ranking table after their outstanding 3-0 victory over Dong Tam Long An yesterday.

Nguyen Xuan Ngoc scored twice and Iheruome Uche placed the third goal for the team, with all scoring seen in the second half.

The win helped Quang Ninh leap from the fifth to second position, while Dong Tam Long An dropped one step down to 11th.

In the match in Pleiku City, hosts Hoang Anh Gia Lai defeated title favourite Song Lam Nghe An 3-1.

Anjembe Timothy was in the spotlight after grabbing a hat-trick in the first half. Nghe An had their only goal at the 53rd minute when Emile had a straight shoot into the net.

In his day, Timothy could score more than three if goalie Tran Nguyen Manh was not careful. 

Jaya Raya Jakarta knocked out of Indonesian badminton tourney

Jaya Raya Jakarta on February 9,led by Nguyen Tien Minh, was handily defeated by Musica Flypower Champion at the ongoing Djarum Superliga 2014 Badminton Championship in Surabaya, Indonesia.

Sufferinga 2-3 loss in the final round, Minh’s teams failed to live up to expectations and secure the top spot as it succumbed to a much lower seeded rival.

Jaya Raya Jakarta got off to a brisk start and led 2-0 in the first two sets, but facing a stiff and unrelenting challenge lost the next three consecutive sets.

The first set was won by Japan’s Kenichi Tago (world’s No5) against Alamsyah Yunus of the host country. In the second set, duo Hendra Setiawan (world’s No1) and Markis Kido (world’s No19) defeated Ryan Agung Saputra (world’s No9) and Wahyu Nayaka (world’s No28).

Vietnam’s Nguyen Tien Minh subsequently failed to advance in the third set after losing to Indonesia’s Simon Santoso (world’s No58).

Although Minh currently ranks 50 notches higher than his opponent, he was decisively defeated in three straight matches.

The fourth set saw an unsuccessful performance byBona Septano (world’s 108)/Gideon Markus Fernaldi (world’s 65) against Vladimir Ivanov (world’s 18)/Hardiyanto (world’s 88) of Musica Flypower Champion Club.

In the fifth set, Indonesian player Wisnu Yuli Prasetyo of Jaya Raya Jakarta Club was defeated by Lee Hyun Il from the Republic of Korea who clinched the win for Musica Flypower Champion and claim the US$40,000cash prize.