Vietnam secures second place at SEA Games

Vietnamese athletes had a successful competition day at the on-going 27th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Myanmar on December 17 as they brought home a total of six gold medals.

With this result, the Vietnamese team continued to secure its second place at the Games with 49 gold, 43 silver and 56 bronze medals. Thailand took the lead with 64 golds and Indonesia came third with 45 golds. Host Myanmar dropped to the fourth position with 42 gold medals.

The first good news of the day came to Vietnam in the early morning as long-distance runner Nguyen Van Lai emerged victorious in the men’s 5,000m event.

But the impressive victory of the day came from sprinter Vu Thi Huong, given that she has been out of the spotlight for the past two years and faced grave doubts over her ability to return to the winner’s podium.

She reclaimed her gold medal in the 100m strongest event and her sixth gold medal in the history of SEA Games.

The hat-trick of the Vietnamese track and field was fulfilled by Do Thi Thao in the women’s 800m event.

Meanwhile, Le Ngoc Mai, Trieu Thi Hoa Hong and Nguyen Thuy Dung brought another gold to Vietnam by winning the women’s 25m sport team pistol event.

Bui Thi Quynh defeated her Thai opponent in the final to win the first gold medal in Thai Muay competition.

Chess grandmaster Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son improved his achievements with the second gold medal at this Games in the fast chess category.-

Taekwondo brings day’s first gold medal for VN

Nguyen Thi Le Kim, Nguyen Thi Thu Ngan and Chau Tuyet Van secured a gold medal at the Taekwondo’s team demonstration category, the first gold on December 18 for Vietnam at the ongoing 27th SEA Games.

The trio won the World Poomsae Championship in Indonesia last month.

Two other artists, Nguyen Thanh Bao Mi and Nguyen Viet Quoc, bagged a silver medal at the duo demonstration category.

Vietnam’s Taekwondo team set a target of four gold medals at this year’s SEA Games, the largest regional sport event.

By 11 am, Vietnam won 50 gold, 43 silver and 52 bronze medals.-

SEA Games 27: Runners win Vietnam more golds

Vietnamese runners outstripped their rivals to win another two gold medals for the country on December 17 at the ongoing SEA Games in Myanmar.

In the women’s 100m sprint, Vu Thi Huong finished first with a time of 11.59 seconds.

Another gold went to Do Thi Thao in the women’s 800m event, finishing in 2 minutes and 5.52 seconds.

Meanwhile, Duong Van Thai, who triumphed in the men’s 800m in the last SEA Games, only gained a bronze medal this time.

In the women’s 400m hurdles, Quach Thi Lan finished second in 58.93 seconds.

As of 4.30 pm, Vietnam ranked second with 47 golds, 41 silvers and 51 bronzes, only behind Thailand in the medal tally.

Sprinter Huong’s impressive return to SEA Games

Sprinter Vu Thi Huong took a gold medal for Vietnam in the women’s 100m in Myanmar on December 17 after a prolonged injury and a recent ovarian cyst surgery.

She overwhelmed her Thai and Indonesian players, reaching the finish line after 11s59, or 0s26 less than a Thai runner.

At the previous SEA Games in Indonesia in 2011, Huong failed to secure gold in her favourite 100m and 200m.

Beyond expectations, Vu Thi Huong took a gold medal in the women's 100m at SEA Games 27

The impressive performance in Myanmar is expected to build up Huong’s confidence in the women’s 200m race on December 18.  

Shortly after Huong’s competition, her team mate Do Thi Thao bagged a gold medal in the women’s 800m.

In the morning, Nguyen Van Lai carried off a gold medal in the men’s 5,000m race.

Vietnamese marksmen brought home seven out of a total of 12 gold medals at this event, surpassing their set target.

Le Ngoc Mai, Nguyen Thi Hoa Hong and Nguyen Thi Dung clinched the seventh gold medal for Vietnam’s shooting in the women’s 25m air pistol.

Rowers struck only gold medal, failing to meet their set target of winning at least 3 gold medals. Bui Thi Nhat, Nguyen Thi Trinh, Tran Thi Sam, and Pham Thi Thao only grabbed a silver medal in the women’s LW4.

In football, U23 Vietnam were knocked out of SEA Games 27 in a group match against defending champions Malaysia.

As of 07.00pm on December 17, Vietnam got a total of 49 gold medals, ranking it second on the medal tally.

Football For All evens playing field for rural kids

Children attending a fun football festival were filled with joy at the end of the recent one-day event held in Do Son district of the northern city of Hai Phong as part of a project by the Football For All in Vietnam (FFAV), jointly initiated by presidents of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and the Norway Football Federation back in 1997.

The FFAV moved to Hue in 2004 and began its operations in Do Son in 2007. According to its website, the FFAV has managed to create 148 clubs with 1,659 teams and 15,956 players. It also hosts 300 tournaments a year and educates 4,537 people.

This year, hundreds of children from Hop Duc and Minh Duc communes in Do Son were able to participate in five hours of activities.

According to Hoang Trung Hieu, director of the FFAV's programme in Do Son district, after six years in the district, the number of clubs has rapidly swelled from two to nine big clubs and 21 small clubs.

With just balls and some simple objects, the FFAV's dedicated instructors created a wide range of games to help children learn skills as well as increase their knowledge.

Children can join in football matches or partake in drills combining thinking exercises with football skills. They can also dribble a ball to take pieces of paper with words and arrange these into a meaningful order; or head the ball into circles with different terms referring to good or bad aspects of society.

"This kind of event is invaluable and helps to educate children about football skills as well as life skills," said Vu Trong Loi, head of the National Sports Administration's Popular Sports Department.

"The event also serves as a catalyst to encourage children to participate in community activities through which they can acquire knowledge and practical skills. More events like this will be held in other provinces in the future."

The course is supplied at a very low cost and sometimes self-run by locals. Along with its own creative ideas, the FFAV can reach children in rural areas for minimal expenses.

"I saw a lot of different exercises here and how you use these to teach these boys and girls not only how to play football but how to be educated in a proper manner," said Wilfried Lemke, special adviser to the Secretary General on Sport for Development and Peace, after finishing a 30-minute football match with children.

Lemke said he was not disappointed to travel for three hours from Hanoi to attend the event, which he described as providing value, engagement, organisational skills, good-behaviour and a good environment.

"I am very pleased to see this project by NGO FFAV in Vietnam. I always focus on grassroots-level sports where children learn how to behave, that's part of education," Lemke said.

Pham Duc Dai, a secondary school student who has participated in the event two years in a row, said that participating in the event had helped him learn teamwork and social skills.

"We do not have many events of this kind which allow all children in the commune to meet, play and socialise. I want it to be held more often," Dai said.

Dai's wish is also what Lemke wants to bring to rural children across Vietnam. Lemke hopes other provinces and cities will replicate or learn from the model the FFAV is implementing in Hue city and Do Son.

"It is a question of content and support. This initiative has to be supported. With support from the government, the work will be much easier," he said.-

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV