VietNamNet Bridge – Sprinter Vu Thi Huong topped this year's poll on Viet Nam's most outstanding athletes and coaches.

Huong, 25, who won a bronze medal in the women's 100m and a silver in the 200m in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, notched up 1,213 points in the poll. She edged out teammates Truong Thanh Hang, who came in with 1,208 points to make the top ten list; Karateist Le Bich Phuong, who won Viet Nam's only gold medal to salvage Vietnamese pride in the martial arts competitions at the Asian Games, ranked third with 1,047 points; and badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh placed fourth.

Swimmer Vo Thanh Tung topped the list of disabled athletes with 550 points. He won a gold medal in the men's 50m freestyle at the Asian ParaGames for disabled athletes in Guangzhou, China last December.

Runner-up was badminton player Pham Duc Trung, who also grabbed a gold in the Asian ParaGames, gaining 480 points from the selection. Another badminton player, Hoang Pham Thang, placed third, winning 376 points.

In the coaches category, coach Ho Thi Tu Tam won 463 points to take the top spot. The army's karate coach, Le Cong, took second ahead of track and field coach Nguyen Dinh Minh. Badminton coach Le Thuy Nga was voted the top coach for disabled athletes.

The awards are jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Viet Nam Fund for Young Talent Support and The Thao Viet Nam (Viet Nam Sports) newspaper.

A gala to honour athletes and coaches will be held in Ha Noi next month.


* Football legend Pele to visit Viet Nam in March


Pele, who is widely considered to be the greatest footballer of all time, is expected to visit Viet Nam in March.

Organisers of the 3rd Buon Me Thuot Coffee Festival to be held on March 10-13 in the Central Highlands province of Dac Lac said the 71-year-old will attend the event as a goodwill ambassador for his native Brazil, which is the world's largest coffee exporter.

In 1999 Pele, born Edison Arantes do Nascimento, was named the Football Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.

In the same year, when French weekly France-Football asked all former "Ballon D'Or" winners to choose their footballer of the century, he again came out on top.


VietNamNet/Viet Nam News