Mr Khamparn Douangpaseurt, a former champion cyclist and popular folk song singer, is now turning his talents to become a champion shooter of the air rifle as a member of the Laos team with high hopes of winning a medal during the SEA Games in Laos later this year.
Mr Khamparn, or Parn as he is better known to his friends, will be one of three national shooters of the air rifle (long rifle) to compete at this year's games from December 9 to 18. It is his first time in the national team for shooting and it is also the first time Laos has sent an air rifle team to compete in the games.
Mr Parn told the Vientiane Times yesterday that he has been fortunate because he has been successful in the things he has set out to do. When he was younger, some ten years ago, he had many successes in cycling and used to be a famous cyclist in the junior category. He received a gold medal in the national games in Khammuan province.
“My life seems to go in stages and any new direction happens according to the way I feel,” he said. Listening to him talk it is clear that he puts all his energy and enthusiasm into each of these stages in his life.
In 1994, after becoming a champion cyclist, he began learning to play the guitar and sing folk songs. Within two years, he was performing folk songs on stage at the Sara beer shop (near Thongkhankham market in Vientiane ). Then he entered his first competition for folk songs winning third place.
After that the shop asked him to play and sing more regularly. Over time he was asked by many shops and bars to perform. In 1996-1997, he made an album for the first time. It was called douangdao douangchai (Star and Heart). This first album became quite famous but he only continued to perform for another 12 months before he turned his attention to other things
Three years later in 2000, he was asked to join Lao Art Media where he laid down a second album called Thang haeng khouam fan (Road of Dreams). In this album he needed a female singer
Many auditions were held for female singers to sing with him, then eventually Miss Thidavanh Bounxouei or Alexandra was chosen. She has since gone on to become a Lao pop superstar singer.
Alexandra and Parn became popular with their song kha lom hack kha lom luang (Only sweet talking but never fall in love), which was a very popular song at that time.
That song, kha lom hack kha lom luang, was to be the climax of his career as a singer.
After two more years, he went to work with an international organisation to help campaign on HIV/AIDS awareness through his guitar playing and singing. He worked with this organisation from 2003 until 2007.
Mr Parn said before his success as a singer, he also used to occasionally practice target shooting with a hand gun.
In 2007, he went back to target shooting and in 2008 it was a busy time with Champassak province due to host the National Games.
“My life took a new direction again, when I started shooting with a hand gun. I tried hard and hoped to join the national games in Champassak,” he said with a strong voice. At that time he trained with his friends at the Vientiane shooting field and sometimes at the police field. He discovered when he tried the rifle that he was much better. During this time he entered many regional competitions but did not win any medals.
Despite this, through his diligent efforts training with the air rifle, he was selected to join the Champassak Games in 2008, as a representative from the Ministry of Planning and Investment. He won three silver medals at the games.
After his success at the Champassak Games, he was selected to join the national air rifle shooting team in May this year by the Lao Shooting Federation and will compete at the 25th SEA Games. He has been training at the Vientiane Shooting Field from June until now.
Mr Parn said that his average score was 560. The air rifle shooting event has a maximum score of 600 with 60 bullets from a distance of l0m.
A shooting trainer Mr Xayya Sisane said “It is the first time for us to send an air rifle (long rifle) team to compete in the SEA Games, so we selected only three shooters and one shooter for the substitute.”
He said Mr Parn was a talented shooter in the team. Mr Parn said he goes to the field to train five to six hours every day.
“Shooting is very different from singing or playing guitar because singing is entertainment and is full of commotion. While, shooting needs calm, concentration, focus, dedication and patience, and especially a love of shooting,” Mr Parn said.
He hoped, based on his statistics to win some medals for Laos . If he doesn't win anything because of lack of experience it would still be a good starting point to gain more experience.
Through the changing stages of his life, he does not know what will come next after shooting.
He also said, he has been invited to join other singers to sing in the opening ceremony at the games.
By Panyasith Thammavongsa
Vientianetimes
