It was double joy for Quah Ting Wen, who not only swept the first gold in swimming for Singapore by winning the women’s 100m freestyle but also had the distinction of setting the first new Sea Games record in the 25th edition of the biennial Games with a time of 56.03s. She rewrote the 10-year-old record of 56.05s set by compatriot Joscelin Yeo in 1999 at the SEA Games in Brunei. Thailand’s J. Natthanan took the silver in 56.33 while another Singaporean Lim Xiang Qi (56.60) settled for the bronze.
“I was rather nervous in the final. There were many other good swimmers. But I was confident of setting a new record if I win the gold,” said Ting Wen.
In the men’s 200m backstroke Singapore struck gold again through Zach Ong with a time of 2:03.27 while the silver was won by Ryan Arabejo of the Philippines (2:04.36) as Rainer Ng also of Singapore won the bronze 2:06.10. Singapore ’s third gold came through Tao Li in the women’s 200m backstroke with a time of 2:17.12 – far below the existing record of 2:16.76 set by Akiko Thomson of the Philippines set in 1993. Thailand’s T. Chavisa settled for the silver with a time of 2:19.87 while Shana Lim of Singapore the bronze in 2:20.98.
Malaysia broke Singapore’s domination in the pool when Siow Yi Ting clocked a fast 2:14.57 on her way to the gold and new Games’ record in the women’s 200m individual medley. The old record stood at 2:17.17 set by Singapore’s Jocelin Yeo in 1999.
Thailand’s J. Natthanan (2:18.98) and Singapore’s Koh Hui Yu settled for the silver and the bronze respectively.
Thousands of Thai tourists will cross the Mekong River to cheer on their athletes at the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane .
Representatives of travel agents from the Thai provinces of Nong Khai and Udon Thani paid a courtesy visit to Vice President of the Lao National Tourism Administration (LNTA) Mr Sila Mounthalavong in Vientiane on Tuesday to discuss arrangements for the expected influx of Thai tourists.
Udon Thani and Nong Khai are major gateways to Vientiane .
The Thai travel agents also held discussions with their Lao counterparts to arrange measures aimed at facilitating a pleasurable stay for Thai tourists, including guided tours, transport arrangements, and booking of tickets, hotels and restaurants during the event.
According to the LNTA, large groups of Vietnamese tourists are also expected in Vientiane during the games.
Mr Sila said Vientiane offers a warm welcome to all visitors during the sporting event.
He said there are sufficient hotels and guesthouses to accommodate more than 11,000 people and the LNTA has asked hospitality businesses in the areas surrounding Vientiane to prepare for more visitors.
“We expect that after the games many will want to spend some time somewhere like Vangvieng district in Vientiane province where they can enjoy some beautiful natural scenery,” he said.
Mr Sila said the LNTA has held discussions with hospitality businesses to ensure they maintain reasonable service charges during the games in an effort to lure tourists back for a second visit in the future.
He called on Vientiane and Nong Khai travel agents to continue cooperation efforts in the future to boost tourism in the neighbouring provinces.
He said Vientiane is not only the capital of Laos but also a gateway into Indochina as it has transport connections to major tourist destinations such as the World Heritage listed town of Luang Prabang, the Plain of Jars in Xieng Khuang province, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, Chiang Mai in Thailand and Siem Reap in Cambodia.
The tourism industry in Laos has increased rapidly in recent years due to rising visitor numbers and growing foreign investment in the country, he said.
Hotels in the major towns of Laos , such as Luang Prabang, Savannakhet and Champassak, have top quality hotels offering tourists excellent services and hospitality.
Lao Media Centre of the 25th SEA Games Committee will be publish Lao and English versions of the 25th SEA Games newsletter start from 2 to 19 December, .
Copies will be available at the Media Centre, Sport Stadiums and competition venues in Vientiane where sport events will take place. Copies will also be available at some of hotels and guesthouses where SEA Games guests from member countries and international sport organisations are accommodated.
The newsletter will contain the history of the SEA Games, result and plans for various sport events on a daily basis, and the activities of leaders from member countries.
We hope the 25th SEA Games newsletter will be a means to deliver information about the Vientiane Games and help people in the region to strengthen their friendship, solidarity and mutual understanding for the promotion of peace and prosperity throughout the world. The newsletter is also intended to develop sports and athletes so that better results are achieved at the Olympic Games.
The message is written by Mr Savankhone Razmountry, Head of the Lao Media Centre of the 25th SEA Games Committee.
Lao pencak silat athletes had the opportunity to test their skills at an event held at Lao-ITECC on Monday.
After training in Hanoi , Vietnam , for six months this year, the national team is currently finalising SEA Games preparations at the National Sports Training Centre.
At the warm-up meet, athletes in the 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70kg weight divisions contested the fighting event, while mixed doubles teams showed their skills in the dancing event.
The Lao Pencak Silat Federation's Deputy Technical Secretary, Mr Vanxay Baophom, said the event primarily included fighters listed as substitutes for the games, a move to ensure top-line fighters were not injured so close to the big event.
The federation has selected males in the 50, 55, 60, 65, 70 and 85kg weight divisions for the games, as well as females in the 50, 55, 60 and 65kg weight classifications. A number of substitute fighters have been named for each category.
The federation used yesterday's event to test the newly refurbished indoor stadium, as well as organisers' readiness for the games, by including announcements, a flag raising ceremony and medal presentations.
The federation declared the event a success, with just some minor adjustments to be made before the start of the SEA Games.
Lao-ITECC will host the sepak takraw, wushu and pencak silat events during the games.
The SEA Games Organising Committee has finished installing arenas, seating and sports equipment at the stadium. Each of the three arenas has seating for 400 spectators.
A total of 18 Lao pencak silat athletes trained in Vietnam from June to November under the guidance of Mr Nguyen Huy Dong from Vietnam and Mr Sulrianto from Indonesia .
The team has been supported by the Lao National Sports Committee and the Vietnamese government.
Mr Sulrianto coached the Lao national team during the last SEA Games in 2007 where they won a bronze medal.
Laos also won bronze medals in pencak silat at the 18th SEA Games in Thailand in 1995 and 19th SEA Games in Indonesia in 1997.
Competitions at this year's games will consist of a tanding (fighting style) event for men in the 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75 and 85kg categories, and 50, 55, 60 and 65kg categories for women. There will also be single and teams seni (dancing style) competitions.
More than 20,000 spectators took their seats for a rehearsal of the 25th SEA Games opening and closing ceremonies at the National Stadium on Saturday.
Kaysone Phomvihane Avenue and Road No. 13 south were busy as the friends and families of more than 8,000 performers and other interested people drove to the stadium to watch the performance.
The event was arranged by the SEA Games Opening and Closing Committee as a practice run to test out both lighting systems and participants ahead of the big night on December 9.
The performance scheduled for the opening ceremony took place first, followed by the routines rehearsed for the closing ceremony.
The committee checked out all the lighting and sound systems as well as making sure the thousands of performers were step perfect.
For the most part, the performers did very well but some were obviously unsure and lost their way at times.
Many people who went to see the event told press the performance was the greatest show they had ever seen in Laos .
They were impressed with the colourful and traditional costumes worn, and fascinated by the skills of the many youngsters taking part.
Mrs Daoleuang of Nongbua village said if her daughter were old enough she would have let her take part in the performance.
“It's very beautiful. It's not the same as when I saw it on television during the last rehearsal. It was much better seeing it live at the stadium because of the great atmosphere and the good sound system.”
During the event, the SEA Games Organising Committee held a traditional ceremony to wish for good luck during the games. Leading the ceremony were committee Chairman and Standing Deputy Prime Minster Somsavat Lengsavad and other officials involved in the event.
There will be another rehearsal early next month before the start of the games.
Traffic police reported that more than 4,000 vehicles went to the stadium on Saturday, keeping police at work until midnight as they directed traffic to reduce congestion as people were leaving.
The 25th SEA Games Accommodation and Food Committee reported last week that a large number of Thai and Vietnamese sports fans will attend the games in Vientiane next month.
Various committees involved with the organising the games met in Vientiane on Friday to discuss final preparations for the event.
Committee Vice Chairman, Dr Sila Mounthalavong, said the committee is working in cooperation with local hotels and restaurants to ensure that demand can be met during the event.
“Various associations have informed us that large groups of supporters from those countries have already booked accommodation and they're also expecting many visitors from Cambodia and Myanmar ,” he said.
“Sports clubs and fan associations in neighbouring nations have inquired about services at the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge during the games, such as opening hours and expected waiting times.”
“We've also had requests for timetable and scheduling information so that visitors can plan their trips here,” Dr Sila said.
The SEA Games Organising Committee is currently in the process of compiling the relevant information which can be provided for distribution in neighbouring countries.
Dr Sila called on the relevant committees to publicise scheduling and other information as soon as possible.
“Some visitors will actually be coming to Laos over the next week or so because some sports events begin on December 2, so it would be good if such information was available for visitors when they arrive,” he said.
Standing Deputy Prime Minister and SEA Games Organising Committee Chairman Somsavat Lengsavad asked all committees involved with the games to cooperate to quickly produce scheduling information for visitors.
The committees pledged to ensure the required information is publicly available by the end of this week.
More than 8,000 performers from Laos gathered at the National Stadium in Vientiane for the rehearsal of the opening / closing ceremony of the 25th SEA Games 2009 in Laos. Check out the clip below:
(KPL)Vientiane Jamia Mosque welcomes SEA Games Muslim athletes, sports officials, supporters and tourists who would be here during the SEA Games period next month to do their Friday prayer and the five daily Muslim prayers (fazar, zohor, azan, magrib and isyak) in its premises.
This mosque is located in the tourist belt area and so it is right in the centre of this capital city. The newcomer Muslims could use the city?s iconic ?Namphu? (fountain) as a landmark, walk down Setthathirath Avenue for 40 metres until he reaches a directional sign, follow the arrow and he would come to the mosque, distinguished by its three spires.
Imam or religious teacher of this mosque is Maulana Nazimul Islam, who hailed from Assam province, India, and he leads the Friday prayer.
According to a committee member of the mosque. Mr Mohd Lokman bin Abdul Rahman, there are 900 to 1,000 Muslims in Vientiane. Quite a few of them originate from Pakistan and India. Another group are Lao Muslims and he said there are 200 of them. A small group are Muslims who are attached to the embassies here, such as Malaysia and Brunei.
He told KPL News on November 11 that he is happy to act as a guide to the Muslims who will be here in connection with the SEA Games and show them nice places in Vientiane. His contact number is: 020-5528-576.
Vientiane Vice Mayor and SEA Games Decoration Chairman Bounchan Sinthavong has urged everyone to help clean up and beautify Vientiane ahead of the SEA Games in December.
At a press conference, Mr Bounchan said cleaning was the responsibility of people who live along Vientiane roadsides, who should make sure their front yard and house is clean and free of dust.
“Five districts in central Vientiane have assigned village officials to sign contracts with people who have promised to clear and clean their land, which will help to spruce up Vientiane before and during the games,” he said.
The committee said more than 1,500 families lived along the 21 major roads in Vientiane , and that those people should share the workload to make sure the city presents a good image.
“As part of our mission, district and village officials will be checking to see that local people have cleaned up around their houses,” Mr Bonuchan said.
The vice mayor also reported that the decorative work around Vientiane was 95 percent complete, and this included planting shrubs, raising the national flag of each guest country and displaying the SEA Games logo.
“We have been putting up flags since Friday and the decorations are almost finished in Vientiane , to attract local and foreign visitors to the event. We also plan to install special lights in various parks,” he said.
He also reported on the construction of the major road link to the sports complex at the National University of Laos Dongdok campus, the SEA Games Village , and the major road from Donnoun to the National Stadium.
“This month the construction of the road, the installation of the lights and the planting of shrubs along roads from Phontong to Dongdok will be complete. Some parts of the road between Donnoun and the National Stadium are under repair due to damage from the rainy season,” Mr Bounchan said.
He added that if nothing went wrong, most of the work would be done on time or before the games. The vice mayor urged people to work together to keep cleaning from now on in order to welcome visitors from abroad to Vientiane next month.
The Lao National Sports Committee held a test run of the SEA Games welcoming ceremony last Tuesday.
Female students from the National University of Laos practised holding placards bearing the name of each of the 11 participant nations, to welcome the athletes at the start of their stay at the SEA Games Village from December 9 to 19.
Some 300 volunteers and liaison staff from the National University of Laos took part in the exercise.
The test run started at Wattay International Airport and continued at the SEA Games Village .
Sports committees and officials from the university, who will work during the games, also attended the practice event.
SEA Games Organising Committee Vice Chairman Dr Souvannarath Saignavong said the sports committee would be able to improve the welcoming ceremony after analysing the first practice session.
On November 26, the sports committee will hold the final practice session.
It will do a test run of the flag raising ceremony at the SEA Games Village on Thursday.
Practising the welcome ceremony will test public security and transportation.
Dr Souvannarath said it was very important because Lao leaders and athletic teams would be able to see how Laos will welcome other athletes at the village.
He said male and female speakers would be careful to pronounce the name of each country accurately.
During training at the village, Lao dancers practised their performance to welcome the athletes.
Vice Mayor of the village Ms Keomanivong Phimmasen said athletes from six countries would stay at the village.
The six countries were Brunei , Indonesia , Singapore , Thailand , Malaysia and Laos , she said.
There are 77 coaches and athletes from Brunei , 389 from Indonesia , 376 from Singapore , 829 from Thailand , 667 from Malaysia and 612 from Laos .
Mrs Keomanivong said the number of athletes from the five other countries would be confirmed by the sports committee this week.
The Lao National Sports Committee (LNSC) will raise the flags of the 11 participating countries at a ceremony to honour the 50th anniversary of the SEA Games Federation Committee at the SEA Games Village on December 8.
More than 4,000 athletes staying at the SEA Games Village are set to arrive in Vientiane in time for the ceremony. The village consists of eight 4-storey dormitories.
The flag raising ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the SEA Games Federation will be an important event.
This ceremony indicates that the athletes of the 11 countries have arrived at the village and will start preparing for the games.
As the host country Laos will stage performances and other activities on the opening night.
The National Stadium will not have a booth selling tickets for the SEA Games opening and closing ceremonies tickets, as there are only 1,000 tickets left, the Vongkhanty Construction Company has said.
The company is responsible for ticket sales.
Company President Phankham Vongkhanty said at a press conference yesterday that people who wanted a ticket should hurry to reserve and buy one because they would soon be sold out.
“The SEA Games Organising Committee agreed to officially distribute the tickets on Monday. We started selling them for 200,000 kip on November 9 by calling people who had booked to come and collect and pay for their tickets,” Mr Phankham said.
The company continued to distribute tickets but raised the price to 300,000 kip yesterday.
“We've done it like this so the distribution process won't become complicated,” Mr Phankham said.
He also said each ticket had a stamp from the Ministry of Public Security and a 3D hologram sticker of the 25th SEA Games logo.
People who come to collect their tickets should look through the hologram, Mr Phankham said.
If there is no hologram, the ticket is not authentic.
The company reported that more than 13,000 tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies had been printed.
There were 5,470 tickets costing 500,000 kip, 4,102 tickets costing 400,000 kip, 3,418 tickets costing 300,000 kip and 684 tickets costing 200,000 kip.
SEA Games Organising Committee Deputy Chairman Dr Phouthong Seng Akhom said prices were lower than those charged by countries hosting the SEA Games in pervious years.
“We have prepared a VIP area of about 4,500 seats, but the committee will prepare some more seats for senior government officials,” he said.
The company had alerted provincial administration offices throughout the country that they had tickets set aside for them, but there are some who have not yet confirmed they will be buying the tickets.
“Many sports officials who are coming from other provinces to prepare for the SEA Games had tickets to distribute in their provinces,” Mr Phankham said.
The company reiterated to the press that ticket sales would be closing soon, and people should buy tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies before they sold out.
Mr Phankham said if people could not purchase a ticket, they could watch the ceremonies on television.
Alternatively, the committee plans to install a large screen outside the stadium to broadcast the ceremonies for people who didn't get a ticket.
Tickets are currently selling for 400,000 kip and 500,000 kip.
Anyone interested should contact the company on +85621 260458 +85621 260458 or +85621 260459 +85621 260459.
By Souknilundon Southivongnorath (Latest Update Novembe 11 , 2009)
These are some of the songs out of the 33 songs on the 25th SEA Games music CD, covering topics such as friendship, encouragement for athletes and celebrating the sporting event in general. Please enjoy.
1. SEA Games Harmony
2. Welcome to SEA Games.
3. Gao Pai Sou Fun (By Ting Philavanh)
4. Go Laos Go... by Sam Intharaphithak, Nalin Daravong, and Kave
With less than 40 days until the SEA Games kick off in Vientiane , government agencies are boosting efforts to make sure everything is ready for nation's largest ever sporting event.
Public relations are an important aspect of their work in ensuring the games run smoothly. To prepare the media, a course titled “Training for Journalists on Crisis Communication during the SEA Games” was held from October 29-31 in Keo-oudom district, Vientiane province.
The course was jointly organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture, World Health Organisation (WHO) and National Emerging Infectious Diseases Coordination Office (NEIDCO).
Ministry of Information and Culture Office Deputy Head and NEIDCO committee member Vayolinh Phrasavath said at the course “The SEA Games will gather large numbers of people both from around Laos and from other countries. This increases the risk that an infectious disease such as influenza A(H1N1) might emerge.”
“The government is working hard with related organisations to prepare for such an occurrence and prevent disease outbreaks.
“This training course gathers together 41 journalists and TV and radio announcers from every media agency to discuss plans for crisis communication. We will explain various points of detail about how to report an energency and talk about public relations. It is important that everyone knows in advance about the good cooperation and preparations of public health agencies and the media. This involves how they will try to prevent a disease outbreak during the SEA Games and what they will do if people fall ill.
“I believe this short course will help participants to get a better feel for what is needed in the way of anticipating events and forward-looking reporting. You will learn a lot about communicable disease surveillance in Laos , and with good reporting you can make sure visitors to the SEA Games aren't concerned about falling ill,” Mr Vayolinh said.
Currently the Lao government is on the alert for seven communicable diseases - the H1N1 virus, bird flu, diarrhoea, dengue fever, smallpox, hepatitis and food poisoning.
The government is in constant communication with the communicable disease surveillance committee, so that any suspicious illnesses can be investigated, reported on and the necessary information passed on to reporters.
WHO Communications Officer Ms Catherine Cochran said “During a time of crisis people depend on the media to provide them with information about what's going on so they can protect themselves.”
“We have a major event coming up with the SEA Games. There will be thousands of visitors as well as international media coming to cover this event. We have all have been working hard to make sure the games run smoothly, but we must be prepared for something to go wrong. This could take the form of a disease outbreak or other emergency.”
“The media must be prepared to tell the public what's really happening and how to deal with the situation. In this workshop they will learn how to work together to help everyone be safe with the help of our communication skills. I'm looking forward to involving the media in the SEA Games communication network,” Ms Cochran said.
Souvenirs. Every major event has them, and the SEA Games is no exception.
As you might imagine, there are already many mementos with which to memorialise the games.
Personalised stamps will provide a suitable souvenir for visitors. These include everything from locally made handicrafts to mass-produced mascots and other products available for both interested visitors and locals alike.
The Lao National Post and Telecommunications Authority is one of many government sectors in Laos involved in promoting the games.
With this in mind, they have asked for permission from the SEA Games Organising Committee to use the SEA Games logo on special edition personalised stamps to sell as souvenirs for visitors to the games.
The authority's Head of Office, Mr Phueay Sadalom, said yesterday the stamps will be a perfect personalised souvenir for those seeking to preserve memories of the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane .
“Many people believe that stamps are only to be used for mailing letters through a post office, which of course is their primary function. However, they are also valued very highly by people who collect them,” he explained .
The authority is working with Thai British Security Printing in Bangkok , Thailand , to design the stamps.
The first set of one dozen will have four pictures of the National Stadium in the background, four SEA Games logo stamps and four bearing the picture of the purchaser.
The second set will feature four stamps with mascots in the background, with four SEA Games logo stamps and four purchaser pictures.
“Those two designs will be printed in an edition of 12,000 stamps, and will sell for 50,000 kip each,” Mr Phueay said.
Personalised cards with calendars and pictures of buyers, the stadium, and the mascots will also be on sale.
“We still don't know how many we can print because we are in discussions with the printing company. We do know that we will sell them for 30,000 kip each,” he said.
The authority plans to begin distributing the personalised cards from November 15, but the stamps will not be available until the opening day of the 25th SEA Games on December 9.
“We believe that these are great souvenirs that people will want to buy. No other country in this region has created such stamps for previous SEA Games, so Laos is the first to do this for the games,” Mr Phueay said.
Two booths will be installed at the National Stadium during the games to sell the products to visitors and athletes.
“Just take a good photo and we'll print it out. Within 10 minutes, you will get a great set of personalised stamps,” Mr Phueay said.
By Souknilundon Southivongnorath October 30 , 2009
(KPL) The National Taekwondo Federation of the Lao PDR will organise the Asian Taekwondo Championship from 29-31 October at the Boo Yong Indoor Stadium, National University of Laos (Dong Dok Campus).
This event will be participated by many local participants and the athletes from Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia and all of them will compete in five divisions in kata and poomse dances.
The competition is aimed at testing the competitive skills of athletes and the readiness of referees for the sport at the 25th SEA Games, according to Brig. Gen. Vilay Duangmany, President of the National Taekwondo Federation.
Athletes staying at the SEA Games Village will be provided with a wide variety of high quality nutritious food during the event, according to the Lao World Company.
Mr Somsavat Lengsavad ( right ) loads his plate at the food tasting. The company, which will provide catering at the village, held a food tasting event last Sunday to invite Standing Deputy Prime Minister and SEA Games Organising Committee Chairman, Mr Somsavat Lengsavad, and members of all SEA Games committees to sample the food that will be on offer at the village during the games.
General Manager of the Lao World Company, Mr Souliyong Youivanivong, told those at the event that ingredients would be sourced from Vientiane and from Champassak, Saravan, Xayaboury and Luang Prabang provinces.
“We will have almost 200 staff, including kitchen, waiting, cleaning and management staff, working in the canteen,” he said.
Mr Souliyong said the food provided to athletes will be healthy and nutritious and prepared under recommendations from experts from various government departments.
“The Forestry Department will guarantee that farmers providing vegetables to us are using organic methods and the Department of Industry and Commerce will inspect standards at slaughterhouses and ensure meat is transported hygienically.”
“All sectors involved will do their utmost to ensure everything is of the highest quality and standard.”
The canteen will provide nine to eleven different dishes each day during the games, including regional and European foods. Dining times will be from 6-10am, 11am-3pm, 5-8pm and 9-10pm.
Mr Somsavat instructed those responsible to correct spelling mistakes on the menu and to pay close attention to ensuring good quality, healthy food for the athletes.
Some committee members asked for more Lao and regional dishes be added to the menu to add a more local flavour for athletes.
The village will accommodate more than 4,000 athletes from the region who will participate in the games in December.
The Lao SEA Games Organising Committee hosted a Chief de Mission (CDM) meeting in Vientiane on Saturday to hear reports on preparations for the games.
Participants at the half-day meeting received reports from the host nation on such issues as games emblems and mascots, ports of entry, hospitality services, sports complexes, and medical care.
CDM delegates from Brunei , Cambodia , Indonesia , the Philippines , Malaysia , Myanmar , Singapore , Thailand , Vietnam and Timor Leste raised questions and issues at the meeting.
Attendees asked the committee for information about services and accommodation for athletes and coaches at the SEA Games Village , as well as for foreign delegations attending the event.
Chairman of the SEA Games Technical Competition Committee, Mr Somphou Phongsa, said at a press conference after the meeting that the meeting aimed to report on the progress of preparations for the games, after some participating nations raised concerns about the SEA Games Village .
“There were many questions and issues raised, including inquiries about services, medical care, and ticketing, but the majority of queries were about the accommodation for athletes and delegations,” he said.
Mr Somphou said the committees had outlined the services and accommodation that would be provided and the CDM delegations were satisfied with the results.
“Some attendees requested a CDM centre be set up during the games, so we will establish an accreditation centre at the National University of Laos near the SEA Games Village . Another common concern was ticketing arrangements for fan clubs and dignitaries.”
The CDM delegations were asked to submit lists of athletes and delegations from their respective nations that will attend the games by October 26 so arrangements could be made.
The delegates also visited sports venues and the SEA Games Village to view progress and standards.
Mr Somphou pledged the relevant committees would address all suggestions and requests raised at the meeting and ensure excellent hospitality is provided to athletes and delegations during the games.
The printers are rolling and now SEA Games ticket producers are waiting for the Marketing and Benefit Committee to allow the distribution of tickets, Vongkhanty Construction Company confirmed yesterday.
Company President Phankham Vongkhanty told the press the company had already printed opening and closing ceremonies tickets.
However, there had been a need to change some sponsors positions on the tickets, then reprint them again.
They are now waiting for the committee's agreement to begin distribution of the reprinted tickets.
The company had promised to produce the tickets by the middle of October and distribute them from October 20.
However, issuance of tickets has been postponed due to incorrect sponsor positioning in the design of the ticket.
Distribution of the replacements now awaits the decision of the Marketing and Benefit Committee.
“Another reason for the delay is that the committee wants to make sure the tickets can't be copied by unscrupulous groups of people. I can confirm this is not possible,” Mr Phankham said.
Since early October the company has been printing the opening and closing ceremony tickets and sent them to the committee for inspection.
The committee called on the company to change the positions of sponsors listed on the tickets.
“We had already printed some tickets before they were viewed and edited by the committee.”
“Now we've made a new design and have got them printed, so we're just waiting for permission from the committee to allow us to begin distribution,” Mr Phankham said.
As they wait, the company has ordered 3D hologram stickers to attach to the tickets to prevent them being copied.
However, the company isn't sure if the stickers will be finished in time for distribution.
Mr Phankham said the committee advised that the tickets must also have a stamp from Ministry of Public Security with the sticker.
“If the stickers aren't complete, we will use only the stamp,” he said.
“Don't worry, because we have many identifiers which help us to tell the difference between a genuine and a fake ticket.”
The company reported that more than 13,000 tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies will be printed: 5,470 tickets costing 500,000 kip; 4,102 tickets costing 400,000 kip; 3,418 tickets costing 300,000 kip and 684 tickets costing 200,000 kip.
“I can guarantee that there are 3,000 tickets costing 500,000 and 400,000 kip still left - the rest have already been reserved.”
“We have prepared a VIP area of about 4,500 seats, but the committee will prepare some more seats for senior government officials,” he said.
Mr Phankham also gave some hope to potential spectators without tickets.
He said if a person who reserved a ticket didn't pay on time, the reserved tickets would be sold to others.
Recently, a neighbouring country's media outlets reported that tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies were very expensive.
However, 25th SEA Games Organising Committee Deputy Chairman Dr Phouthong Seng Akhom said prices were lower than those charged by countries hosting the SEA Games in previous years.
The Lao post office has released the 25th SEA Game stamps to commemorate the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane, 2009. The stamps come in two prices of 5,000 and 7,000 kip (1$=8,500 kip) and are available at the post office, and souvenir shops.
During a four-nation friendly football tournament held in Vientiane from September 9-14, the Lao women's team demolished Malaysia in the final 6-0 at the Chao Anouvong Stadium on Monday.
Top Lao striker Ms Souphavanh Phayvanh hopes to lead the women's football team to victory in the 25th SEA Games in December.
She said the team has shown vast improvement since beginning training with a coach from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea .
At last year's SEA Games in Thailand , the team came in fourth place. The Thai female football team took first place, Vietnam 's team placed second and Myanmar came in third.
Ms Souphavanh said she is honoured to represent Lao women in the competition on home soil and will work to the best of her ability.
The accomplished forward, aged only 17, lives in Don village, Pakngum district, Vientiane , and recently graduated from Sathit Secondary School at the National University of Laos.
She said it will be difficult for the Lao team to best the Thai and Vietnamese teams, which are sure to be strong opponents at this year's games.
She believes she will receive strength from fans attending the games to support their team.
At the moment, the player is still experiencing pain in her left leg due to an injury picked up during training and the recent friendly football competition, which included the Malaysian team, two clubs from Thailand and the Lao team.
She said she gained important experience from the exhibition matches and will now concentrate on training for the SEA Games.
Unfortunately, Ms Souphavanh is still suffering from injuries acquired in last year's games, and has been receiving treatment through the Lao Football Federation. Luckily, she will have an opportunity to receive further treatment in Thailand before the upcoming events.
She hopes to be a part of the national team for a long time after SEA Games are over.
Even though she will take part in the football event, she will also show her support for the sepak trakaw team because she also enjoys the sport.
She will study Physical Education at the National University of Laos and wants to continue her involvement in sports after graduation, perhaps working with the Lao National Sports Committee.
Next year she starts her university course, and will look back on her years of success, which began on a football field at primary school in her home village.
