VietNamNet Bridge – More than 600 athletes, coaches and officials will take part in ceremony to send off Viet Nam's SEA Games squad at the Opera House on October 30, the national sports administration has announced.

The ceremony is traditionally held to boost athlete morale and confidence before the competition begins.

Viet Nam will send 593 athletes to compete in 36 sports at the Southeast Asian Games in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, and Palembang from November 11-25.

Viet Nam is likely to bag between 70 and 90 gold medals to finish in the top two in the region's biggest sporting event, according to the national sports administration.

Viet Nam hopes to secure gold in 14 martial arts events, including karate, wushu, taekwondo and judo, and to compete strongly in chess, weightlifting, billiards and snooker.

In the 25th SEA Games held in Laos two years ago, Viet Nam won 83 gold, 75 silver and 57 bronze medals to rank second in the medal tally, just behind Thailand.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News