National badminton player Vu Thi Trang struggled during the first round match of the Ciputra Hanoi-Yonex Sunrise Vietnam International Challenge yesterday.

The No 3 seed worked hard before beating Fitriani Fitriani of Indonesia 21-19, 16-21, 21-16, amidst strong support from home fans at the Cau Giay Gymnasium.

Trang, the world No 46, took nearly 75 minutes to defeat the unknown athlete in the women's singles category.

Her next rival will be Supanida Katehong of Thailand, who had won 21-14, 21-10 over Rui Chen Yap of Malaysia, in an earlier match held yesterday.

In the morning, Pham Cao Cuong was the first Vietnamese to enter the second round of the challenge.

Cuong had no difficulty beating Tawan Huansuriya of Thailand 21-13, 21-10 during the men's singles match.

He will however face a big obstacle in the second round as his rival will be another contender for the No 1 rank, Suppanyu Avihingsanon, from Thailand.

His teammate Nguyen Hoang Nam also advanced after his 21-19, 21-11 win over Krishna Kumar of Malaysia.

In the mixed doubles event, Viet Nam's Duong Bao Duc and Thai Thi Hong Gam also won a berth in the next round yesterday.

They beat Japanese pair Tomoya Takashina and Rie Etoh 19-21, 21-18, 21-13. However, their teammate could not make it.

Minh Bao and Le Thi Thanh Thuy lost 16-21, 21-12, 11-21 to No 7 duo Lu Ching Yao and Chiang Kai Hsin of Chinese Taipei.

Earlier, Do Tuan Duc and Pham Nhu Thao, were crushed 14-21, 21-13, 18-21 by Parinyawat Thongnuam and Chaladchalam Chayanit of Thailand.

Nearly 300 athletes from 17 countries have registered for the event. The winners of the tournament on March 22 will walk away with 4,000 points and more than US$1,100 in cash. — VNS

Ha Noi 1 lead women's national football rankings

The Ha Noi 1 team maintained its leading position on the rankings table after a tied match against hosts HCM City yesterday, during the National Women's Football Championship held at the Thong Nhat Stadium.

This is the first draw for the defending champions, who now have 10 points, as many as HCM City, but rank higher, owing to their better goal difference.

Other matches during the fifth round will also be held today. Ha Noi II will play last year's runners-up Phong Phu Ha Nam and Viet Nam Coal and Minerals will play against Thai Nguyen.

Swimmers make a splash at 25m pool championships

Over 170 athletes will compete at the National Short-Course Swimming and Diving Championships at the central city of Da Nang's Aquatic Sports Centre from March 24-31.

The Viet Nam Aquatic Sport Association announced yesterday that the diving event will run from March 24-26, while the swimming event will be held from March 27-31.

Competitors will vie for 66 titles at the 25m swimming pool championships.