Vietnamese athletes vie for spots on Olympic team

Three Vietnamese track-and-field athletes are vying in competition in Thailand for a spot on the Second Summer Youth Olympic Games team scheduled in China from August 16-28.

The three national athletes include Vu Thi Mong Mo (women’s triple jump), Nguyen Thi Truc Mai (women’s long jump), Pi Nang Thi Bac (women’s 2,000 meters hurdles), Tran Thi Tham (women’s 800 meters), Danh Giot (men’s long jump) and Tran Van Luan (men’s 400 meters).

In addition, Vietnamese athletes around the country are also rigorously training for participation in a suite of tournaments in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand, pinning their hopes on making the Vietnam national team and winning medals.

Upcoming tournaments on the horizon include the Asian Youth Championships in China on June 12-15, World Junior Championships in USA on July 22-27 and the Asian Games in Incheon, the Republic of Korea in December.  

Business golf tournament to take place this weekend

As many as 260 professional and amateur golfers will compete in the FLC Golf Invitational Tournament 2014-Golf4Good at the Van Tri Golf Course in Ha Noi on May 24.

The golfers will be divided into six groups, five for men and one for women, competing in the 18 hole course. At the 16th hole, the organisers are giving away four Hole-in-One prizes, which include two Mercedes C200 and two Toyota Camry automobiles. Another six Eagle prizes will award winners with two villas worth VND2 billion ($95,238) each at international golf course and resort FLC Samson Golf Links in central Thanh Hoa Province, two membership cards for the resort worth VND425 million ($20,238), one MBA scholarship worth VND100 million ($4,761) at Dong Do University and $10,000.

After the success of the FLC Golf Invitational Tournament 2013, this third annual golf tournament, with total prize values of VND12 billion ($571,400), was expected to be a useful playing-field for the entrepreneurial community nationwide, said Nguyen Thanh Binh, general director of FLC Group at the press conference in Ha Noi on Wednesday.

Through the tournament, FLC Group, sponsors and entrepreneurs will also donate VND100 million to the Com co thit (Rice with Meat) charity fund for poor children.

V-League side Becamex Binh Duong won the best team, best coach and best player awards in April, the Viet Nam Professional Football Joint Stock Company has announced.

Nguyen Thanh Son took the award for best coach, followed by Mai Duc Chung of Thanh Hoa and Tran Binh Su of Dong Nai.

Huynh Kesley Alves bagged the best player title. Hoang Vu Samson of Ha Noi T&T and Dinh Thanh Trung of Quang Nam were runners-up.

Hoang, Hung win gold for HCM City

HCM City's Nguyen Nhut Hoang defeated Viet Hoang from Vinh Phuc to win the U16 singles category of the National Men's Tennis Championships yesterday in Dak Lak Province.

Nhut Hoang dominated the final match and easily bagged the gold medal winning 6-4, 6-2.

His teammate Hoang Hung later added another title for HCM City after winning 6-3, 6-2 over Viet Hoang from Vinh Phuc in the U14 singles class.

The over-18 doubles event saw Military duo Huynh Chi Khuong and Tran Thanh Hoang defeating Le Quoc Khanh and Pham Huu Vinh from HCM City 6-3, 3-6, 10-7.

Earlier, Nguyen Duy Thuc and Le Trung Tinh helped the Military team level the number of gold with HCM City. They beat Binh Duong pair Marshall David and Nguyen Van Phuong 6-4, 7-5 in the U18 doubles match.

In the last day of the competition today, Hanoian Trinh Linh Giang will play Tran Hoang Anh Khoa of Military in the final of the over-18 singles. And Thuc is expected to bag his second title in case he wins the U18 singles final against David.

Tam retains yellow jersey

Ha Thanh Tam retained the yellow jersey after winning the third stage of the "Return to the Countryside" cycling tour yesterday.

Tam, racing for Gao Hat Ngoc Troi An Giang, won the 130km stage from Cao Lanh City in Dong Thap Province to Tieu Can District in Tra Vinh Province in a time of 3:26.27.

Phan Hoang Thai of Domesco Pharmacy Dong Thap and Nguyen Huu Tien of Vinh Long finished second and third.

With the best overall time of 8:09.10 after three stages, Tam kept hold of the yellow jersey.

Military Zone 7 took the lead in the team race with a time of 24:29.18, followed by An Giang and Vinh Long.

Today, cyclists will compete on the fourth stage from Can Tho to Soc Trang City.

Viet Nam top volleyball qualifiers

Viet Nam overcame Kazakhstan 25-9, 25-27, 25-26, 25-17 in the last round robin match of the VTV Cup international volleyball tournament yesterday in Bac Ninh Province.

The fourth win of the hosts places them at the top of the ranking table with 12 points. Having equal points but with lower ratios, North Korea and Thailand rank second and third, respectively.

In the first semifinal match tomorrow, Viet Nam will again face Kazakhstan, which rank fourth.

The second match will see a battle between North Korea and Thailand. In the preliminary round, the Korean team won 27-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-19.