(KPL) Though many sports bodies are short of cash but they are determined to send as many athletes as they can to for training at the Sports Training Centre, Sikeuth village, Naxaithong district.
They are also scouting for other training facilities in Vientiane and the prospect of sending athletes to be trained in neighbouring countries and all such efforts on their part are to give the promising Lao athletes the best preparation to compete in the coming SEA Games at the end of the year.
These problems were brought out during a meeting held in the Prime Ministers Office on 30 ApriL and its main theme is to discuss and make decisions on the progress report of the work of the Lao SEA Games Organising Committee (LAOSOC) and the Lao National Sports Committee (LNSC).
The meeting was attended by Standing Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of LAOSOC, Mr Somsavat Lengsavad, LNSC President, Dr Phouthong Seng-akhom, heads of sports bodies and senior officials from LNSC.
During this meeting all the sports bodies that are training athletes to compete for the coming SEA Games submitted proposals on their funding needs to LNSC.
On this occasion, Mr Somsavat said he was focused on using seven billion kip budget to buy sports equipment, to give allowances to athletes, to pay money to athletes for taking part in practice sessions and for other reasonable obligations.
Currently, various sports bodies, such as tennis, golf, karatedo, judo, muay lao and taekwondo are being funded by companies and international organisations.
However, there are sports bodies that do not have any company sponsor and they are searching high and low for sponsors to get funding and two of them are national women?s football team and Lao Cycling Federation.
Referring to the good work of the sports bodies, Mr Somsavat said they are always on the lookout to give assistance to athletes who have problems with their education and family.
Taking this into consideration, he added that the sports bodies are bent on doing their level best to give the athletes top notch preparation for the SEA Games and hopefully to win medals for Laos.
Mr Somsavat also said that while the national sepak takraw squad is currently training in Savannakhet province but there is a plan to transfer its centralized training venue, from October onwards, to the indoor stadium of Lao-ITECC, Vientiane.
