25th SEA Games, Laos

The 25th edition of the SouthEast Asian Games came to a spectacular end tonight where in true ASEAN spirit, songs from all participating countries marked the beginning of the closing ceremony at the Main Stadium. And as government leaders and VIP Guests slowly trickled into the gathering pace of songs, the marching in of the SEA Games flag began making their way into the stadium to the pace of the Laos Police Band. Athletes and officials in their different multi-coloured costumes but all in celebratory mood were then paraded in just prior to the giving of the official closing ceremony speech by the Laos Deputy Prime Minister, His Excellency Somsavat Lengsavad.

The flags of hosts Laos and also that of the SEA Games were lowered before the SEA Games flag was handed to the delegates from Indonesia to make their taking over of the next hosting job in 2011. That marked the start of the official cultural and artistic performance beginning with the 'Paddy Thrash Dance'.

Then came an ensemble of Laotian favourites of the 'Lao New Year' dance, the 'Rocket Festival' dance, the 'Boat Racing Festival' dance and which culminates in the 'Gather Together Again' dance - a performance from the delegation from Indonesia.

A spectacular display of fireworks to light the night sky then marked the end of the official closing ceremony and also a fabulous chapter to the 25th edition of the SEA Games when Laos played hosts to an incident-free meet.

SEAG

Photo: Signs hung up along the median strip on Lane Xang Avenue promote the ongoing 25th SEA Games.

Although Vientiane is a small town compared to the bustling metropolises of Southeast Asian, the host city of the 25th SEA Games will keep you entertained, with surprises around every corner.

The hearts of millions of Lao people nationwide are beating faster at the prospect of welcoming athletes and guests to the SEA Games, and also in anticipation of next year's celebrations to mark the 450th anniversary of Vientiane as the capital of Laos .

This year's SEA Games is not just about winning, but also serves to remind us of the principles of ‘Generosity, Amity, and Healthy Lifestyle' – the slogan promoting the games. This is a simple expression, but profound in meaning, and relates to Laos and to the rest of the world.

It conveys the lofty ideals of the people of Vientiane as well as Laos in general. They will attempt to share these principles with the global community and to set the stage for a bright future hand in hand with the rest of the world's citizens.

The slogan expresses the firm beliefs of a great nation with a long history and on its way towards modernisation. Laos is committed to peaceful generosit y, a society where friendship reigns, and to encouraging a healthy lifestyle.

Perhaps a tour of Vientiane will enable the visitor to see these ideals in practice, and offer another exciting option in addition to the mouth-watering competition schedule.

Yes it's a relatively small city, but don't be deceived. Many sights of interest await you, and they're all easy to get to. We have places of cultural significance, shopping malls, an endless array of dining options and a magnificent river that affords stunning sunset views.

Vientiane is about 3,920 sq km in size with a population of about 610,000. There are nine districts: Chanthabouly, Sikhottabong, Xaysettha, Sisattanak, Naxaithong, Xaythany, Hadxaifong, Sangthong and Parkngum.

The first place to go is the That Luang stupa - the symbol of Laos and very important to the Lao people. We have a saying: “If you come to Vientiane and don't visit That Luang, you haven't actually seen Vientiane ”. The stupa, built in 1566 by King Sayasetthathirath, is said to contain relics of the Lord Buddha himself and is the country's most cherished religious monument.

Your next port of call might be the Patuxay Monument (Victory Gate), which was built in the 1960s and is located nearby on Lane Xang Avenue .

A short walk away on the same street is Vat Sisaket, built in 1818 by King Anouvong. Having survived attacks by the Siamese, this is the oldest standing temple in Vientiane . It is also one of the oldest monasteries in the country and houses many important documents and treasures, including 6,840 Buddha images.

On the other side of the road sits Hor Phakeo, originally built in 1565 as a place for the Phrakeo (Emerald Buddha) during the time of King Sayasetthathirath. Today it is a museum, and contains one of the most extensive Lao collections of Buddhist artefacts.

Xieng Khuan Buddha Park , an artistic extravaganza conceived in 1958 under the direction of Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, a Lao monk, hosts a collection of larger-than-life sculptures that merge Buddhist and Hindu traditions. The park is located about 24 km south of Vientiane , across from the town of Nong Khai in Thailand where Bunleua later erected a similar pantheon of sculptures.

A stroll by the Mekong River will bring you closer to spectacular sunsets and open vistas. Fa Ngum Road is the most popular place to hang out at this time of the day. Here you'll find an abundance of eateries and watering holes to enhance your sunset experience.

The town centre features two main shopping centres, where you can pick up some colourful souvenirs. The Morning Market can be found on Lane Xang Avenue and the Xang Jieng Chinese Market on Asean Road is on the way to Wattay International Airport .

If you're a fan of Indian food, Fa Ngum Road can accommodate your needs.

When the desire for European food strikes, head for the Nam Phou fountain area just a few minutes walk away. Here you'll find a handful of cosy restaurants, many of which also serve Lao food.

You will be amazed but, despite its size, Vientiane offers a range of international cuisines that also extends to Italian, scandinavian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants.

Whether it's a restaurant, shopping mall, health centre or some other destination you're in search of, everything is easily accessible. Just hail a tuk tuk or taxi, but don't forget to negotiate the fare first.



By Sisay Vilaysack

Cambodia U23s coach Scott O’Donell has no complaints about the conditions at the players’ village in Vientiane

THE four group matches that Cambodia will play at the Southeast Asian Games will determine their success or otherwise, but it’s the off-the-field facilities that can be just as important to put the players in the right frame of mind before competition.

Scott O’Donell, the Cambodian coach, was in charge of the team for their last SEA Games outing in Khorat, Thailand, in 2007. “The rooms at the Village are a lot better than at the last Games in Khorat,” he noted. “At least we don’t have communal showers and toilets this time around. The Village isn’t fully operational yet because the Games don’t officially open ’til later, but the food’s OK, no complaints on that score, and the accommodation is OK too, and that’s what’s important for us.”

“It would be nice to have something to keep the players occupied in their free time,” he added. “In Khorat we had a games room and Internet. Here we have nothing like that, but it’s the same for every team. At least there’s a medical room, which is good, as some of the boys have been getting some [physiotherapy].”

The right diet and looking after themselves is a part of the players’ preparation that O’Donell has been keen to stress. “The food is good, a wide variety, and it’s nice,” he reported. “There’s pasta, rice and veggies, and all the boys are getting stuck in. They are starting to realise the importance of their diet, and they get a lot of fruit and veggies here, which is a good thing. I’m happy with it.”

The national coach claimed that, so far, the training facilities have been a mixed bag. “The first training session at the army stadium was fine. The next two at the television facility were absolutely terrible and simply not good enough. And today was perfect. So a mix of good and bad,” he commented as the team ended their first session at the Chao Anouvong Stadium, in central Vientiane where they will play three of their four group matches.



The accomodation block where the Cambodian U23 national team are staying in the players village on the outskirts of Vientiane.The Cambodian team watched both of the football competition’s opening games Wednesday and trained for an hour Thursday morning before making their final preparations for their first match against Thailand at 3pm Friday.

Source: http://www.phnompenhpost.com

Laos U23 team had their warm up match with HAGL club from Vietnam in preparation for the 25th SEA Games in Chao Anou football stadium, Vientiane.

In the first match which kicked off on Sunday 22nd November, Laos team trounced Vietnam 4:0. However, the match on 24th November, Vietnam hit back and won Laos with the score 3:1.

This will be the final warm up match for Laos U23 team.

In 25th SEA Games, Laos will first meet Myanmar on December 5th.

More than 1,300 cheerleaders from upper secondary schools throughout Vientiane will get together at Phailom School tomorrow for a final practice of their routine before taking to the SEA Games field next month. SEA Games Cheering Committee Chairman Mr Bounsouk Thilasack said yesterday that November 21 would be the final day of practice before the games, so it would be a big test for the students. “We have arranged for some of the cheerleaders to support athletes from other countries who have less people to cheer for them, so the students acting as cheerleaders will be well-mannered and friendly,” he said.

The SEA Games Organising Committee worked with the Ministry of Education from June this year to discuss the role of students as cheerleaders. The games committee allowed the Ministry’s Head of Office Mr Bounsack to close six upper secondary schools in Vientiane, including Phailom, Sathid, Phonsvanh, Vientiane, Phiavat and Xaysettha schools during the games. “After getting that permission, we discussed with the interested sectors and schools an appropriate time for the students to rehearse for the games. Funding for this has been provided by the government,” Mr Bounsouk said.

He said that during the rehearsals, the students had been trained in orderly cheering, the right and wrong things to do, fairness, manners and good conduct. “We had two training sessions - before the practice on the field and after the practice. We will have the real practice this Saturday, then on November 28, and then another training session on the right and wrong things to do before the games start on December 2,” he said. The cheerleaders will be present at the games from December 2-18, when the committee will allow them access to each sports venue including the National Stadium, Dongdok campus, Lao-ITECC, Buengkhayong, Don Chan Palace and others. “Each sports venue will have a leader to supervise each student group, and the committee will also monitor their work at each venue during the competition,” Mr Bounsouk said.

He said all the cheerleaders would have equipment such as horns, the Lao and SEA Games flags, shirts and hats. “They will use these to spur on the athletes during the competition,” he said. At a SEA Games Organising Committee meeting, the Chairman, Mr Somsavat Lengsavad, said the students would be an important part of the games because they would create a more exciting atmosphere than if there was no one to cheer for the teams.

Source: Vientiane Times

Electricite du Laos (EDL) has guaranteed that electricity supplies will be in order for the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane from December 9 to 18.

Electricity production, transmission lines and distribution systems are all ready to go, according to EDL, with the power supplied by Nam Ngum, Nam Leuk and Nam Mang dams over the period of the games.

EDL Deputy Managing Director Sisavath Thiravong told Vientiane Times on Friday that the preparation of electricity generation is 100 percent ready, and that power outages will not occur during the games.

He said the electricity supply would be adequate due to a production capacity of around 300 MW, which exceeds the expected demand of 10 MW during the event.

EDL has already arranged a standby system to prevent any problems that may arise in case of emergency.

They have spent more than 13 billion kip on electricity generation and supply system improvements at the Nam Ngum 1 hydropower plant in Vientiane province.

Manager of the Nam Ngum 1 hydropower plant, Mr Phoummy Netibandith, told Vientiane Times in September that the improvements will ensure the supply of electricity during the SEA Games and other important events or government meetings is sufficient.

Work included repairs to power generator No. 5 and upgrading the substation, protection line system (relay), and online partial discharge monitoring (analysis).

Deputy Head of EDL's Xaythany branch, Mr Thavisit Insixiengmai, said last week “We have improved every system in the district to ensure there is enough generation of electricity to the National Stadium.”

“This stadium needs 1.4 MW during the games. Standby generators are also prepared for this event.”

The stadium at Km 16 on Road 13 South in Dongsanghin village will be used for the opening and closing ceremonies, held on December 9 and 18 respectively.

The stadium can hold 20,000 spectators.

The games will involve athletes from the 11 nations of Laos , Vietnam , Cambodia , Brunei , Thailand , Malaysia , Indonesia , Myanmar , the Philippines , Singapore , and Timor Leste.

The 25 sports which will be competed at the games are athletics, aquatics (swimming, diving and water polo), archery, badminton, billiards and snooker, boxing, cycling, football, golf, judo, karatedo, sepak takraw, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, wushu, muay, fin swimming, petanque, shuttlecock and pencak silat.



By Times Reporters
Vientianetimes

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.

By Souknilundon Southivongnorath
Vientianetimes

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.


By Souknilundon Southivongnorath

Vientianetimes

The Lao Swimming Federation is confident its athletes can claim medals in the fin swimming event at the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane this December.

The federation sent six male and five female fin swimmers to train at Da Nang provincial Sport Training Centre in Vietnam from April to August 15, with support lent by the Vietnamese government.

After a short break the team will continue training at the centre in Vietnam until November 5. Funding for this second training camp will be provided by both the Lao and Vietnamese governments.

The Lao team is under the guidance of Vietnamese trainer Mr Nguyenmanh Tuan.

The squad will train at a facility in Dongsanghin village in Xaythany district when they return from Vietnam

A federation official, Mr Phanma Toulihong, said Lao fin swimmers are improving at their training camp in Vietnam .

The team will compete in the 3rd Asian Indoor Games in Hanoi , Vietnam on October 30 to November 8.

Mr Phanma said the federation is confident the swimmers will improve their personal best times at the event but believe they may struggle to win medals.

However, the times recorded by the athletes during their training camp indicate they are a strong possibility of winning medals at the SEA Games.

At the 22nd SEA Games in 2003 in Thailand , the Lao men's fin swimming team won a bronze medal in the 4x100 metre relay event.

Mr Phanma said the same team that won the bronze medal would compete at this year's games.

Fin swimming was not included in sports for the 23rd SEA Games in the Philippines in 2005 nor the 24th SEA Games in Thailand in 2007.



By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes

The shooting field in Dongsanghin village, Xaythany district, to be used for the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane this December is now 90 percent complete.

The Lao SEA Games Organising Committee says the arena will be completed within a month.

Manager of the Construction Project for the 25th SEA Games, Mr Khiengkham Phoutchanhthavongsa said officials are waiting for equipment from Germany to install at the field.

The shooting field will consist of 32 lanes of 10 metres in length and 32 lanes of 50m in length. The arena will have seating for 50 spectators.

Construction of the facility began in October 2007.

The national shooting team will train at the field from October in preparation for the games.

The team is currently training at the Lao Shooting Federation's field, which has eight lanes of 10m in length and six lanes of 50m.

The Industrial Park Overseas Investment Company, China Yunnan Construction Engineering Group and China Development Bank are currently constructing a sports complex for the SEA games at a cost of more than 849 billion kip (more than US$100 million).

The complex will include a football stadium, swimming pools, tennis courts, a shooting field and two indoor stadiums. The complex is located in Dongsanghin village, Xaythany district, Vientiane .

The shooting event at the games will consist of men's and women's singles 50m rifle and 10m air rifle; women's singles and team 25m pistol and 10m air pistol; men's singles 25m rapid fire pistol and 25m centre fire pistol; men's singles and team 25m standard pistol, 10m air pistol and 50m pistol events.

The Lao national shooting team finished in sixth place at the South East Asia Shooting Championships in Vietnam last September after winning one gold, four silvers and eight bronze medals.

The Lao shooting team failed to win a medal at the last SEA Games in Thailand in 2007


By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianegames

The Lao national taekwondo team will be aiming to show off their improved techniques in the poom sa (artistic) event at the RDC Taekwondo Championship in Bangkok , Thailand , on June 20-21.

More than 50 taekwondo federations at the international level will attend the championship.

The Lao Taekwondo Federation will send seven male and four female fighters to compete in the poom sa event.

Lao taekwondo coach Mr Chanthavong Panyasily said he wanted to test the team's skill as they prepare for a stab at a medal at the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane in December.

The Lao poom sa team won a bronze medal in the 9th Asean Taekwondo Championship in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam , from June 4-7.

Meanwhile the federation will send four male and four female fighters in different divisions to compete in standard competition at the championship in Bangkok .

Some of the best Lao fighters will not compete in the championship after sustaining injuries at the championship in Vietnam . The team won a gold and two silver medals in the event.

The injured fighters will be replaced for the Bangkok event.

Mr Chanthavong said the Lao taekwondo team was hopeful of winning gold medals in Bangkok because they were fit enough.

At the RDC championship in Bangkok last year, the Lao team won six gold, two silver and five bronze medals from the fighting discipline of taekwondo.

Lao taekwondo coach Mr Chang Kuk Park and the team will go to Bangkok today.

The team will continue training at the National Sports Training Centre in Sikeuth village, Naxaithong district, on their return from Thailand .

The federation will select a squad to train in South Korea from July to September.

By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientiane

Women sepak takraw players preparing for the 25th SEA Games later this year in Vientiane won a friendship tournament on Saturday in Savannakhet province against a Thai team.

The Lao National Sepak Takraw Federation had invited the women's team from Mahasarakarm province in Thailand for a friendly tournament, contested by three teams from each province.

The first Lao team to play won its match with a score of 21-12 and 21-17. But the second team lost with a score of 18-21, 21-16 and 9-15. But after the third game when Laos achieved a score of 21-15, 21-14, Laos was declared the winner.

Because the event was very closely contested, the women decided to play a further match, which Laos again won with a score of 21-18.

Coach Lamphone Souvanvong said the event had been useful because it had allowed him to see his players' weak points. They would work on these together so the women could perfect their skills ahead of the SEA Games in December.

The federation is seeking more matches with local players and teams from neighbouring countries to get in plenty of match practice before the big event.

Coach Lamphone reported that 42 sepak takraw players, including 21 men and 21 women, had been taking part in practice matches in Savannakhet province since April.

They train at the Savannakhet Sepak Takraw Centre, which is fully equipped and has large grounds where players can train.

“They have been able to improve their tactics and skills. What we want to do now is test them out against various sepak takraw players from neighbouring countries so we can take note of their weak points and improve things before the games,” Mr Lamphone said.

He said almost 80 percent of the athletes were ready to compete in Thailand , in events such as the King's Cup.

“There are still a few small problems that need ironing out. Some of the players were only chosen last month for training at the centre and still not familiar with our rules so we have to bring them up the same standard at the other players.”

A member of the men's team, Sampien Somsamaivong, said they needed to strengthen their leg muscles a lot more as well as improve their general fitness before taking part in tournaments in Thailand .

“Since we've been training at the centre we've improved a lot. Both men and women are following the rules, which govern training, meals and other aspects,” he said.



By Souknilundon in Savannakhet
Vientianetimes

Photo: Lane Xang Avenue, Vientiane

Vientiane to have decorations up by end of June

Vientiane will finish its programme of beautification by the end of this month in preparation for the 25th SEA Games which the capital will host from December 9-18.

This work is considered very important in readying Vientiane ahead of the games.

At a meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday, Deputy Vientiane Mayor Bounchan Sinthavong said more than 6 billion kip would be spent on sprucing up the capital.

Efforts are being focused on Vientiane 's main streets, including Lane Xang Avenue , Anouvong Road and Fa-ngum Road .

Mr Bounchan said a company was being awarded a contract to carry out the work.

At present, the Vientiane Urban Development and Administration Authority (VUDAA) only focuses on this aspect of civil works from time to time, but it will now be working to smarten up the city on a daily basis.

The VUDAA will install pictures of the 25 sports to be included in the games at the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge , along with pictures of the games' mascots, the elephants named Champa and Champi.

The authority will also install promotional signs at Wattay International Airport , the athletes' dormitory, the main sports complex at Km16 and at other sports venues nearby.

The Ministry of Information and Culture is responsible for the opening and closing ceremonies of the games.

The ministry has set aside four days for government officials and student teams to rehearse dance routines and other work. It is preparing the traditional dances and songs that will be performed at the ceremonies, dramas, and the costumes to be worn by artists, speakers and singers.

The Ministry of Finance is planning to print one million lottery tickets to be sold before the opening ceremony as a way of raising money for the games.

The meeting was attended by Standing Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Lao SEA Games Organising Committee (LAOSOC) Somsavat Lengsavad, Lao National Sports Committee (LNSC) President Dr Phouthong Sengakhom, ministers and senior officials from LAOSOC.

Mr Somsavat said the opening and closing ceremonies would be full of interest and a very happy occasion, and would certainly be ready in time for the games.

Preparations for the games are making good progress, according to reports from senior officials of the 25 sports federations presented at the meeting. Meetings to discuss progress are taking place at the Prime Minister's Office every month.

Vientianetimes

(KPL) Technical Official of Asia Sport Development to Asia Region, Mr Suresh Mcnon and his delegations visited Laos and paid courtesy visit Vice President of Lao National sport-Gymnastic Committee, Mr Somphou Phongsa last weekend at Lao National sport-Gymnastic Committee Office.

This visit was aimed at giving an advice about Tennis Development Project for young tennis players, especially a five-year tennis development project of Lao National Tennis Federation.

During the visit, Mr Mcnon visited and inspected the construction of Chao Anou Tennis court and tennis court of National University of Laos which will be used for competition for the 25th South East Asian Games at the end of this year.