25th SEA Games, Laos

Khamla Xayavong, 21, has become the latest Lao hero after scooping three gold medals in shooting events.

Yesterday Khamla struck gold in the 10m running target mixed event.

She won the event with a score of 358, beating silver medallist Ha Dang Hong of Vietnam, who scored 353 points, while Khamla's team-mate Hongkham Xayalath took the bronze medal with a score of 352.

Khamla also bagged a silver medal in the mixed 10m running target category, scoring a total of 1,040 points.

The gold medal in this event went to Vietnam with 1,043 points, while bronze went to Thailand with 977 points.

“I am very happy and proud to win three gold medals and a silver for the home fans. In the future I will try to improve my shooting skills and hope to be a national shooter forever if the nation needs me,” said an excited Khamla.

Before picking up her third gold medal yesterday, Khamla scored 367.0 to set a new SEA Games record in the women's 10m running target event on Saturday. The previous highest score in this event was 358.0. She collected another gold medal on the same day in the women's 10m running target team event.

Now sports fans around the country are in awe of Khamla because it is the first time in Lao sporting history that one competitor has won more than one gold medal at the SEA Games.

Three gold medals is a wonderful present for Khamla as she approaches her 22nd birthday on December 30.

So far, Lao shooters have amassed three gold, one silver and one bronze medal.

The Lao men's under-23 football team will play a friendly match with Thai Port FC, champions of the Thai Football Association 2009, at the Chao Anouvong Stadium in Vientiane on Saturday.

The match will be another test of the players' skills as they prepare for the SEA Games. Entry to the game will be free of charge and the match will kick off at 5pm.

Lao Team Manager Viphet Sihachackr said this was an important experience for the players before facing big matches at the SEA Games in December.

“I believe this Saturday's match will be great, just the same as the recent 4-Nations Football Tournament held at the National Stadium. I hope lots of people will turn up to cheer for us.”

Recent matches have been good for the Lao football team, but the players are not good enough for SEA Games matches because they still need to improve in many areas of their tactics, Mr Viphet said. In the 4-nations tournament Laos drew 2-2 with Vietnam , defeated Thailand 3-0 and drew 1-1 with Malaysia , to be crowned champions.

“This match will be tougher than previous matches against Thai teams because they recently won the Thai FA Championship 2009. When we heard this we decided to invite them here for a friendly,” Mr Viphet said.

After Saturday's match, the Lao team will participate in the Cambodian International Football Tournament BIDC Cup 2009 from November 4-18 in Phnom Penh .

“This tournament will be more important than the match with Thailand this weekend because Hoang Anh Gia Lai and Vissai Ninh Binh are top teams in the Vietnamese league. Our players will have to raise the level of their game to face up to professional footballers like that,” he said.

Mr Viphet said the forthcoming matches were a strategy to improve the team by pitting them against stronger teams so they could learn from the experience ahead of the SEA Games.

In Cambodia , the tournament schedules Vissai Ninh Binh vs Laos and Hoang Anh Gia Lai vs Cambodia on November 8, Vissai Ninh Binh vs Hoang Anh Gia Lai and Cambodia vs Laos on November 10, Laos vs Hoang Anh Gia and Cambodia vs Vissai Ninh Binh on November 12. The finals will take place on November 14.

The Cambodian website http://roubroum.blogspot.com/ reported that the tournament will be broadcast live on Cambodian TV5 starting at 3.30 pm.

The tournament champion will win US$20,000, the runner-up US$10,000, third place will take US$5,000, the footballer voted best player will get US$1,000, and the top scorer and best goalkeeper will each get US$1,000.



By Souknilundon Southivongnorath

Vientianetimes

Eighteen Lao badminton players depart for Bangkok , Thailand , today to gain experience before the 25th SEA Games in December.

Lao Badminton Team Manager, Mr Somsaveng Sengsilavong, said yesterday the squad will train with Thai national badminton players as part of preparations for the games.

The team, which is also the squad for the SEA Games, will return to Laos on November 2 to start final preparations at the badminton arena at the National Sports Complex.

“These athletes were selected from 30 players after the Lao International Challenge in August,” Mr Somsaveng said.

The Lao Badminton Federation has sent its players to train and compete in Korea and Vietnam this year. Competition results were not so good because the squad lacks international experience and struggled against stronger opponents.

“We're just aiming to gain as much experience as possible at the international level. The federation has organised some local level events in the lead-up to the games,” he said.

The federation reported that the squad is only 80-90 percent ready for the games, so they will have to train extra hard upon their return home as there will then be only one month left before the games begin.

“The players have pledged to do their best and try to win medals for the nation. They also want to encourage people to come along and cheer for them during the games,” Mr Somsaveng.

One national player, Mr Yothin Latsavong, is hopeful of winning a medal at the games. He competed in the Badminton World Championship 2009 in India from August 10-16.

He said it was a good opportunity and he gained much experience from the high quality international event.

Mr Yothin also competed in the Suwon Badminton Asia Championship 2009 in Korea last March.

In the first round of the championship he beat his opponent from Uzbekistan 2-0, but lost to a Thai opponent 0-2 in the second round.

He said his experiences at the international level have boosted his confidence in his quest to win a medal when his nation hosts the games in December.



By Souknilundon Southivongnorath

Vientianetimes

The Lao SEA Games Organising Committee held a fund raising dinner at Lao-ITECC on Friday in support of the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane this December.

The committee netted donations totalling over 900 million kip and US$358,000 respectively in cheques, 116.9 million kip and US$132,000 in cash, and equipment worth over US$300,000 from local and foreign businesses attending the dinner.

The biggest contribution came from Chinese investors Golden Boten City Co., Ltd., who donated US$160,000 (more than 1 billion kip).

The event was attended by Standing Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the SEA Games Committee, Mr Somsavat Lengsavad, sports officials and company representatives.





Mr Somsavat thanked the guests for their valued contributions to the games and expressed his confidence in the success of the tournament thanks to such support.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the SEA Games Federation. Although Laos has been involved in the games since the beginning, this is the first time the country has been given the chance to host the prestigious event.

Mr Somsavat said the level of sports being played in Laos had improved to the point where the country was ready to take on the competition, and event organising had also reached the required standard.

The games have been organised through a combined effort by the Lao government and neighbouring countries with the assistance of many local and foreign companies.

Mr Somsavat expressed his satisfaction that the necessary infrastructure would be completed in time for the event, and urged the continued support of all Lao people including those living overseas in the lead-up to the games.



By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong

Vientianetimes

The 25th SEA Games Preparation Committee will next week announce the exact number of Lao athletes to participate in the event this December.

The committee's Head, Bounheuang Vongphachanh, said yesterday documents are now being presented to 25 sporting federations who will then comprise lists of competitors to send back to the committee next week.

“We will determine the actual number of athletes to compete in the games, as well as substitute athletes to stand in when an original athlete is unable to perform,” he said.

It is expected more than 600 Lao athletes will participate in the games. Currently, more than 700 athletes from 25 sports are training in both Laos and abroad.

More than 500 athletes are now training in Laos , while others are preparing in Vietnam , Mongolia , Malaysia and South Korea .

“Most of the 25 federations have hired trainers from various countries in the region to coach their athletes in preparation for the games,” Mr Bounheuang said.

As part of their preparations, the athletes participate in many competitions at home and abroad. Some of them are successful, but others still need improvement before the big event commences later this year.

“Lao athletes recently won four gold and three silver medals, as well as one bronze medal in muaylao at the Asian Indoor Games 2009 in Vietnam . They have also won a gold, two silvers and one bronze medal at the 24th King's Cup Sepak Takraw World Championships 2009 in Thailand ,” Mr Bounheuang said.

The committee has also reported that Lao athletes participating in a pre-SEA Games badminton competition in Vientiane earlier this month won both silver and bronze medals.

“In the recent Thailand International Judo North Bangkok College Championships 2009, Lao athletes were awarded four silver and two bronze medals,” he added.

“During the next month, Lao athletes will be sent to participate in many competitions abroad including muaylao, taekwondo, judo, karatedo, wusu and pencak silat. The experience they gain will help to improve their skills before the games in Vientiane .”

Mr Bounheuang said national athletes were taken care of by their respective federations during training, including finances, health, food and accommodation. Athletes training abroad are supported by the sports committees of each country.

According to a report issued by the Lao National Sports Committee last week, more than 5,100 people, including around 900 officials and 4,245 competitors from 10 countries in the region, will attend the games. The committee is still awaiting the details regarding exact numbers of participants from Timor L'este.



By Souknilundon Southivongnorath
Vientianetimes

(KPL) A Lao Shuttlecock Federation organized in Vientiane on 23 June a seminar to upgrade the basic knowledge on shuttlecock sport to referees who are working on shuttlecock sport.

Mr. Boviengkham Vongdala, President of the Lao shuttlecock federation was instructors opened the function. The trainers from Vietnam was invited to be the instructor for the course. This was a part of activities to prepare for the 25th SEA Games 2009 in Laos.

Today, the Lao Shuttlecock Federation has selected 18 shuttlecock athlete to be the member of the National shuttlecock team for 25th SEA Games.

(KPL) The National Weightlifting Federation of the Lao PDR hoped to bag a gold medal at the upcoming 25th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), in Vientiane from 9-18 December.

This was said by the President of National Weightlifting Federation Mr Thansamay Kommasith said, ?We have already selected the best 28 weightlifters, six women to be the national team and they are now having training in the Training Centre at Phonsavanh School in the National University of Laos?.He said that the federation has sent eight weightlifters to join the Weightlifting Championship in Xiengmai, Thailand for testing the strong of our athletes then we capacity said that our weightlifters has improved their skills and good techniques more than the federation expected.

For the Lao National Weightlifting Federation just has established to be the new federation, which getting the main supported by the State Enterprise of Lao Telecommunication and also received some sport equipments from neighbouring countries?, Mr Thansamay added.

In order to the new establishment of the federation, the federation has a higher decided to create the best national weightlifters for joining the SEA Games as well as the federation also making the plans for sending their weightlifters to join the competitions in oversea for their warm-up match before will compete in the SEA Games.