A bright medal prospect for Laos at the up-coming 25th SEA Games is 20-year-old wushu fighter Khammay.
It will be Khammay's first international event but she is confident of taking home one of the three medals on offer in the women's 53kg category wushu event when the games kick off on December 9.
She has experience in both muay lao and wushu but decided to concentrate on wushu in the hope of increasing her chances of winning a medal at the games.
Khammay has been in training with the national squad at the Sports Training Centre in Sikeuth village, Naxaithong district, for the past three months.
There are currently four female wushu fighters in the national squad, which is training hard for the games.
Khammay won a silver medal in the women's muay lao event at the eighth National Games in Champassak province last December, where she represented the Ministry of National Defence.
After her success the Lao Wushu Federation approached her about joining the national wushu team to prepare for the SEA Games.
Khammay was born and raised in Songkhone district, Savannakhet province, where she graduated from secondary school.
Last year she began muay lao training in Vientiane and competed regularly in muay lao tournaments at the Sokxay ring in Dongpalaeb village, Chanthabouly district.
She said she will continue training in both muay lao and wushu after competing in the games and hopes to take part in many international tournaments in the future.
At the Vientiane Muay Lao Competition at the National Circus ring tonight, Khammay will face Khuanchaysikhot camp's Thinnakone in the women's 53 kg division.
This is the first time the two fighters have met competitively and Khammay is expected to win as her opponent is new to the muay lao discipline.
Khammay twice beat Longsan from Phetphengkhuan camp at the Vientiane Sports Department's ring last year.
In the top bout of the men's 52 kg division, Army camp's Kavy will fight Thomat from Sitlatsamy camp.
Kavy has a background in muay lao, but is currently training with the national wushu squad in the hope of representing Laos at the SEA Games.
Other bouts scheduled for tonight:
30 kg: Athit (Sorthibphakone) vs Koukiet (Khuanchaysikhot).
40 kg: Seua-noy (Sitlatsamy) vs Nindam (IO-din).
62 kg: Phonexay (Khuanchaysikhot) vs Sengphet (Sit-aly).
48 kg: Dou-sith (Phetphengkhuan) vs Manydeng (Loukbandoung).
52 kg: Laembo (Sorsingkham) vs Sayamnoy (Sorthibphakone).
The ST-Group Company Ltd, distributors of the M-150 energy drink, is supporting the friendly competition by providing kick-boxers with cash prizes for participating in the event.
by: Vientianetimes
