25th SEA Games, Laos

SEA Games Organising Committee Chairman Somsavat Lengsavad said yesterday the games will raise Lao sport to a higher level because of the enthusiasm shown by local people in supporting Lao athletes.

“SEA Games fever has shown that people want to cheer for and support their athletes in popular sports so this leads me to believe Lao sport will improve,” he said.

Mr Somsavat said many foreigners had told him they couldn't believe that Lao people could be so interested in the games. “I don't want to congratulate my own country but many national leaders in this region have congratulated us on our good preparations and infrastructure which has contributed to the success of the games so far.”

He said many delegations had also congratulated him on the standard of the various sports venues including those used for shooting and table tennis, saying they were better than those in other countries in the region.

“They also said we should organise other international sports events in the future.”

Mr Somsavat said he was proud of the way local people welcomed various visitors during the games with warm smiles and hospitality. He also congratulated Lao athletes, saying the SEA Games was an important event in the history of Laos .

“Our athletes have done well, winning many gold, silver and bronze medals even though the games are still not over. Laos has never had such medal success. But this time we are the hosts so our athletes trained hard for this victory.”

Mr Somsavat talked about the Lao footballers, saying they had played very well to be in the semi-finals. In the past, Laos had never reached the semi-finals.

“Today, I can say our footballers have greatly improved because of their dedicated training. They are trying to do their best, especially as we are the hosts of this event.”

He urged people to continue to show their support for Lao athletes until the end of the games, saying cheering was the best source of energy and inspiration as they pursued their medal quest.

“All Lao people should show their support right up until the end of the games. And we should continue to give visitors a warm and polite welcome, as well as taking care of the environment so the country looks its best for all delegations, guests and tourists visiting Laos,” he said.





By Souknilundon Southivongnorath

Vientianetimes

If the fans which turned up on the first day of the men’s football event at the SEA Games yesterday is of any indication at all, then the Laos organisers should be more than happy with the sale of tickets. For the men’s football event, tickets are being sold at a price of 50,000kips (USD6) and 70,000kips (USD8.30) for the preliminary round matches.

And yesterday, tickets were sold out as droves of Vietnam fans garb in all red came to witness their second national side held eight-times SEA Games champions Thailand to a 1-1 draw. The newly-built Main Stadium has a capacity of 20,000 and apart from making sure that the Vietnam are well supported, the noise generated throughout the evening including when Malaysia took on Timer Leste gave a festive atmosphere worthy of a cup final.

Both the Vietnam and Thailand fans were mingling with each other as they took to the spirit of ASEAN brotherhood to the letter.

During the break, with the music of the Laos SEA Games and also traditional Laos songs being played, scores of people were singing and dancing at the stands. And while Thailand had a smaller crowd of supporters pushing the team forward, the likes of Malaysia and Timor Leste had been given appointed cheerleaders to make them have a semblance of them playing at home.

With the level of football being played on the very first day of competition, the crowd who came to watch the matches were not at all disappointed. Tomorrow will be another loud and cheerful day at the second venue of the Chao Anu Vong Stadium with Vietnam taking on Timor Leste - right after the game between Thailand and Cambodia.

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

Tickets for football matches on the first day of competition in the 25th SEA Games have already sold out, according to distributors yesterday.

The 20,000 seats at the National Stadium will be packed with fans cheering for some of the region's most popular footballers on the first day of the games in Vientiane .

SEA Games ticket distributor, Mr Phankham Vongkhanty, also President of the Vongkhanty Construction Company, said many representatives from his company had reported selling all of their tickets, particularly to Vietnamese and Thai spectators.

“We have no tickets left for the match between Thailand and Vietnam or the Malaysia vs Timor Leste game, both of which take place on the first day of the games,” he said.

The first match will begin at 3pm when Malaysia takes on Timor Leste. The second game is the big match of the day and pits Thailand against Vietnam .

Mr Phankham said various Vietnamese tour companies had bought tickets for their customers, while Thai fans also took many of the tickets for the anticipated clash.

“Vietnamese fans will greatly outnumber Thai fans because our staff said the Vietnamese had ordered thousands of tickets from our company. So I think there'll be a lot more red shirts with yellow stars packing the stands.”

He said ticket prices ranged from 50,000 kip to 70,000 kip, which gave spectators the chance to watch both matches.

At the 24th SEA Games in 2007, Thailand and Vietnam played in different groups. In critical matches, Vietnam lost to Singapore 5-0 and Thailand defeated Myanmar 2-0 to win the gold medal. Timor Leste did not enter a football team, and Malaysia placed third in group B featuring Laos , Singapore and Vietnam .

Interviews with coaches at the weekend indicated Vietnam rated their hopes of victory at 50-50 while the Thai team had a firm belief they would contest the final.

Mr Phankham said tickets to the opening and closing ceremonies were already sold out, but he had 100 to 200 tickets that had been booked but not yet collected. If nobody claims the tickets they will be sold outside the stadium on the day of the opening ceremony on December 9.

“I want to remind ticket buyers that opening ceremony tickets can be used for the closing ceremony as well. One ticket will allow entry to both events. Our staff will tear off the top part of the ticket and the remainder can be used to gain entry to the closing ceremony.”

He warned that some ticket touts might tear off the top part of the ticket to sell for entry to the opening ceremony, deceiving people who did not realise the whole ticket was valid for both events. The touts would then sell the other half of the ticket separately for the closing ceremony.

“Our staff and other security personnel won't allow you to enter the stadium for either of these ceremonies if they see your ticket is not the right size,” he said.

By Souknilundon Southivongnorath
Vientianetimes

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.

The Lao Women's Football Federation will organise a final test event for its players on November 18-19 before the SEA Games get underway in December.

After conceding several goals at the International Women's Football Tournament held in Quang Ninh , Vietnam , last month, the team will play against a club from Chonbury province, Thailand , as a final test before the games.

Assistant coach Mr Viengsavanh Sengchanh accepted yesterday that his team was not as strong compared with the Thai and Vietnamese teams because they didn't practise before the tournament.

“We had left early hoping to practise in Vietnam for 10 days, but unfortunately there was a big storm in Vietnam then so for those 10 days we just ate and slept. We returned home for five days but the tournament organisers invited us to participate in the event so we decided to go ahead even though the players weren't fit,” he said.

After coming back from the tournament, the team starting practising hard by using the experience of the loss, and now they are getting better and are ready to take on the Thai team this month.

The squad has been training since April this year, and the federation invited countries in the region to a tournament in Champassak province. The Lao women were runners-up in the event.

“We have 25 players who are strong and ready to play in the SEA Games; I think they will be able to hold their heads high next month,” Mr Viengsavanh said.

The test event on November 18-19 will be another trial run for the Chao Anouvong and Dongdok stadiums to see if they are ready for the SEA Games.

“Fans can go to cheer the team for free during the competition on both days,” he said.

Mr Viengsavanh also explained that after the match the federation will continue with training and will select the final 20 players for the SEA Games.

“We promise we'll get one of the three medals for Laos ,” he said.

The women's football matches will be played in a group comprising Malaysia , Thailand , Myanmar , Vietnam and Laos .

“ Vietnam has the strongest team but we are trying our best,” Mr Viengsavanh said.

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

CANBERRA: Laos recovered from their thrashing at the hands of Australia to register a convincing victory of their own, over nine-man Malaysia in the AFC U-16 Championship 2010 Group H qualifying competition.


Laos, beaten 7-0 by the Aussies in their first match, were 4-0 up at half-time through Sitthideth Khanthavong, Lembo Saysana (two) and Nidnilanh Chanchaleune.

Lembo completed his hat-trick in the 73rd minute before substitute Southinh Sayalath put the finishing touches four minutes from the end.

Malaysia were not helped by two sendings-off. First, Nur Areff Bin Kamaruddin was given his marching orders after only 11 minutes and Akmal Bin Ishak was red-carded in the 72nd minute.

Australia are still favourites to win the sole qualifying berth from the three-team group, which is employing a double round-robin system. The Aussies next play Malaysia on Saturday.

While only the top team qualify from Group H, groups A-G will see the top two teams and the best third-placed side reach the finals.

http://www.the-afc.com/en/afc-u16-championship-2010/25568-laos-put-six-past-malaysia

Standing Deputy Prime Minster and SEA Games Organising Committee Chairman Somsavat Lengsavad has asked the Opening and Closing Committee to prepare a trial run of the two ceremonies for Party and government leaders.

Mr Somsavat said at a committee meeting last Friday that the ceremonies' organising chairman should arrange a two-day performance of the ceremonies for Party and government leaders so they could see what had been prepared for the games in December.

“When I report on the progress made by the organising committee at Party and government meetings, I find people are worried about how the preparations are going because this is the first time we've held a sporting event of this magnitude,” Mr Somsavat explained.

He said he had been asked to show how the committee will pack thousands of people into the National Stadium and how it will coordinate the performances.

“If they can match the performances held in China to celebrate the 60th anniversary of National Day, it will be very good. But I know that China has a lot experience with this kind of event,” Mr Somsavat said.

During the performances, he asked each of the committees involved to test their various roles in the games, as success would depend on how well prepared each section was.

“All sections should make plans to manage their work during the games. For example, traffic officials should keep traffic = the area or on the way to the stadium,” Mr Somsavat said.

Deputy Minister of Information and Culture and Chairman of the SEA Games Opening and Closing Committee, Mr Bouangeun Saphouvong, said the ceremonies will involve performances by thousands of people who are currently rehearsing for the shows.

“We began rehearsals in May and will continue until next month. We are currently holding rehearsals at That Luang esplanade and various schools but hope to soon organise practices at the National Stadium where the games will take place.”

During Friday's meeting Mr Somsavat also said all construction work should be fully completed and events held to test the facilities before the SEA Games begin on December 9.

“All committees must watch this practice event together and see how each performs. If there are any weak points, these must be addressed before the games get underway,” he said.


By Souknilundon Southivongnorath
Vientianetimes

Photo: Thai U-23 team


Vietnam and Thailand have confirmed they will not send their national men's under-23 football teams to participate in the pre-SEA Games tournament here next month.

However, both nations will send their national U-19 squads to take part in the event.

The Football Association of Thailand confirmed that their under-23 team cannot participate in the pre-SEA Games event because many players are committed to playing in the ongoing Thai Premier League.

The Vietnam under-23 team is busy training for the SEA Games in December and does not want to disrupt its preparations.

General Secretary of the Lao Football Federation, Mr Soulivanh Xeunvilay, said yesterday “Despite Vietnam and Thailand confirming their intention to send their U-19 squads instead of their U-23 teams, the date and schedule of the pre-SEA Games tournament will not change.”

“ Malaysia has confirmed they will send their U-23 squad to compete in the event,” he said.

Earlier this month, the Malaysian national under-23 side completed a tour of the Middle East with a scoreless draw against Jordan , a 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia and a 1-0 defeat to a Saudi club side, according to the Asean Football Federation

The changes will see under-23 teams from Laos and Malaysia compete against under-19 squads from Vietnam and Thailand at the pre-SEA Games tournament next month.

The tournament is scheduled for October 2-6 with the aim of testing television broadcasting systems and facilities at the new national stadium, which has a 20,000 seat capacity and will also host the opening and closing ceremonies of the games in December.

On October 2, Laos will take on Thailand , and Vietnam will play Malaysia . October 4 will see Malaysia up against Thailand and Laos facing Vietnam , while the last day of the tournament will pit Laos against Malaysia and Vietnam with Thailand .

Games will kick off at 4:30pm and 7pm. All matches will be broadcast live on Lao National Television.

Tickets for the tournament will be sold for 40,000 kip for general admission and 80,000 kip for VIP seating.

The event presents a good opportunity for teams to catch a glimpse of the form of their opponents before the big event in December.

SEA Games rules mean players in the men's football event must be 23 years old or younger. The women's football event does not have an age limit for players.


By Sisay Vilaysack
Vientianetimes

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.


By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes

Television broadcasting rights for the 25th SEA Games are open to bids from interested countries after the SEA Games Federation gave the go-ahead for the games organising committee to sell the rights.

The SEA Games Marketing and Benefit Committee has assigned the Phetchampa Advertising Company to act as the agent to sell broadcasting rights to the games.

The company's Director, Mr Khammoui Keomany, yesterday confirmed that the company is not concerned about the controversy surrounding the sale of rights to broadcast the games, which has never occurred for past games.

“I've heard from various media sources that the Thai Olympic Committee disagrees with the Lao decision to sell the broadcasting rights, as it has never happened before. But, I can confirm we will continue with our plans to do so because we have received permission and there is strong interest from participating countries,” he said.

Mr Khammoui said the Lao government has invested millions of dollars in organising the broadcasting of the games and the proceeds from selling the rights will recover some of that expenditure.

Last week, the company signed agreements to allow the RS International Broadcasting and Sports Management Company of Thailand and True Sport to broadcast the games. Two Vietnamese television channels have also purchased rights to broadcast the games.

“We are now in negotiations with companies from Indonesia , Malaysia and Singapore ,” he said.

Mr Khammoui said 25 percent of each purchase for broadcasting rights will go to the Olympic committee of the country making the acquisition.

Lao National Television (LNTV) will broadcast the games' opening and closing ceremonies, as well as 17 of the 25 sports included in the event.

LNTV Director Dr Bounchom Vongphet said the most popular sports will be broadcast on channels 1 and 3. LNTV will also cooperate with Lao Star Channel to ensure 10 hours of competition are broadcast every day, with Lao Star Channel showing two hours per day.

LNTV has organised training courses for its cameramen and producers to ensure the best quality broadcasting possible during the event. They continue to train staff to cover the biggest ever sporting event to come to Laos .

“We will have 11 news teams to report on all the daily competitions from the stadiums through fibre-optic and microwave links to the International Broadcasting Centre. Many staff still need to improve their skills before the games,” Dr Bounchom said.

The broadcasters will have the opportunity to test their readiness for the games at the pre-SEA Games men's football tournament in Vientiane from October 2-6.



By Souknilundon Southivongnorath

Vientianetimes

(KPL) The Lao National Football Federation is cooperating with the Crossfire Company to host the four-nation pre-SEA Games men?s football tournament, which the company donated 100 million kip to cover the expenses.

Football?s fans would be able to see national football teams from Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam in action in Vientiane from 2 to 6 October.

This five-day tournament would enable the SEA Games officials to test the broadcasting system and other facilities of the new national stadium.

Speaking during a press conference held here on Tuesday evening, President of the Lao National Football Federation, Mr Phouvanh Vongsouthi, said this tournament would serve as .a testing ground of the overall functioning of the various systems of the new stadium.

On 2 October Laos will play against Thailand and Vietnam will meet Malaysia. On 4 October the Malaysian team will play against Thailand and Laos will face Vietnam. On the last day Laos will meet Malaysia and Vietnam will play against Thailand.
The evening matches will commence at 4:30 pm and 7 pm.

Each match ticket will be availableat the rate of 40,000 kip for general admission and 80.000 kip for VIP seats. Proceeds from the sale of tickets will be used to fund local football matches.

In order to raise the standard of local media to international standard, the Crossfire Company engaged Total Sports Asia (TSA), an international media company, to bring foreign experts to provide media training to the SEA Games personnel and to the Lao National Television.

The Lao National Television will provide the broadcast feed to TSA for distribution to Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and other countries.

Crossfire Company Director, Thiphakhanh Vilavanh said the Four-Nations Football Tournament will have a special significance for Laos as it will enable her to demonstrate to the international audience that she is capable of hosting international quality events and to use the air waves to beam the games to the living rooms of people in the world.

During this press conference, the Lao National Football Federation, the Lao National Television and the Crossfire Company signed a cooperation agreement.

The main sponsors of the tournament are Lao Beer, Tigo, Don Chan Palace Hotel and C-Pack Monia.

More info, watch this clip

The Lao Football Federation is cooperating with Lao National Television and the Crossfire Company to host a four nation pre-SEA Games men's football tournament.

The tournament will see Lao, Malaysian, Thai and Vietnamese footballers play in Vientiane from October 2-6 with the aim of testing the broadcasting system and the facilities at the new national stadium.

Lao Football Federation President Phouvanh Vongsouthi said at a press conference on Tuesday the four football teams are playing an important role in the 25th SEA Games by testing the football field, broadcasting system and other aspects related to the big event.

The press conference reported that tickets for these matches will be sold for 40,000 kip for general admission and 80,000 kip for VIP seating. The money from ticket sales will be used to fund local football in the future.

“The preparation matches will also test the readiness of the Lao national football team for the games in December. I have heard reports from Vietnam that the team has greatly improved, coming out on top in tournaments held there in recent weeks,” Mr Phouvanh said.

The Lao football team is ranked seventh in Asean countries and 174th in the world.

The exhibition games will be named the ‘4-Nations Football Tournament 2009'.

The tournament begins on October 2, with Laos taking on Thailand and Vietnam playing Malaysia . October 4 will feature Malaysia and Thailand , and Laos facing Vietnam , while the last day will pit Laos against Malaysia . Vietnam will also challenge Thailand on this day. Starting games begin at 4:30pm and the second matches will be at 7pm.

Lao National Television Deputy Director General Souvanh Vilaiseng said this will be an opportunity to test broadcasting ability locally and in other countries.

The Lao Football Federation's goal for this tournament is to help prepare the SEA Games Committee, Lao National Television, and National Stadium staff to train in a live event before the actual games. To help support this effort, the federation appointed Crossfire to manage the event.

Crossfire has linked services with Total Sports Asia, an international media company, to bring in experts from around the world to offer training to SEA Games personnel and to Lao National Television.

Lao National Television benefits by learning international broadcasting techniques to build capacity, and to make this broadcast meet the highest international standards. They are providing the broadcast feed to Total Sports Asia for distribution to Thailand , Vietnam , Malaysia , Laos and other countries.

Crossfire Company Director Thiphakhanh Vilavanh said the 4-Nations Football Tournament is a defining moment in the history of Laos to demonstrate to an international audience that the country is capable of hosting international quality events.

“We are demonstrating, as Lao people, that we have the willpower and confidence to bring our close neighbours to play in this beautiful new stadium, which is a monument to the new future of Laos ,” he said.

During the press conference the Lao Football Federation, Lao National Television and Crossfire signed a cooperation agreement. The company also donated 100 million kip in support of the SEA Games.

By Souknilundon Southivongnorath
Vientianetimes

The Lao women's football team was satisfied with their 3-2 loss to Thai side Lattana Bandits on September 7 in Champassak province.

“We are very happy with the score. Our players did their best against a team that is reigning SEA Games champions as well as holders of the Thai league title,” said Vice Chairman of the Lao Women's Football Committee, Ms Valy Vetsaphong

“After just two minutes they got away to a 1-0 lead, putting pressure on our team and the score increased to 2-0 in the first half. However, we really fought back well in the second half under the guidance of our coach from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea .”

The Lao team managed to draw level at 2-2 in the second half. “Unluckily, the Lattana Bandits scored in injury time to win 3-2.”

“They scored with just 35 seconds remaining in the match. However, the match shows our team has improved and there are still areas we can progress in,” Ms Valy said.

In other matches at the friendship tournament held from September 5-9 Laos beat Bangkok Thonburi 6-1 and Lattana Bandits defeated the Malaysian women's football team 13-0. In the second round of matches Malaysia defeated Bangkok Thonburi 4-0 while the Lattana Bandits beat Laos .

The Lao national team had lost to the Lattana Bandits 13-1 and 8-0 in their previous two meetings.

“On September 9 we will play Malaysia and believe we can defeat them as we have in the past. We are yet to decide if we will play a full strength team or rest some players,” said Ms Valy.

Laos defeated Malaysia 3-1 when they last met at the Asian Football Federation Competition in Vietnam last year.

Women's football was officially established in Laos at the end of 2007, since when the team has attended various regional competitions.

“The team has won matches in Singapore , Malaysia and Indonesia and drawn matches in the Philippines . At the 24th SEA Games in Thailand they got through to the semi-finals, on only our first appearance in the SEA Games,” Ms Valy said.

The team is ranked fifth in South East Asia, 15th in Asia and 74th in the world.



By Souknilundon Southivongnorath

Organisers plan for influx of foreign supporters

Football is always one of the most popular events at international sporting events such as the SEA Games, Asian Games and Olympic Games.

Football was added to the SEA Games in 1959, when the event was known as the Southeast Asian Peninsula Games (SEAP Games).

In the tally of winners from 1959 to 2007, Thailand holds top rank, winning 11 out 24 contests in the SEA Games.

The Lao team's best success was when they made the semi-finals in 1967. Then they finished fourth after a 2-5 loss to Thailand in the third place-play-off. Laos has never reached the semi-finals again.

At the 1959 games, held in Bangkok , Thailand , only four nations competed in the football event - Malaysia , Vietnam , Myanmar and Thailand . Vietnam beat Thailand 3-1 in the event that year.

In 1961 in Rangoon , Burma , six nations contested the football event - Laos , Vietnam , Myanmar , Thailand , Malaysia and Cambodia . The Malaysian side took home gold after beating Myanmar 2-0 in the final.

Malaysia , Thailand , Vietnam , Myanmar and Singapore vied for honours in 1965 in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia . Myanmar and Thailand drew 2-2.

In 1967 in Bangkok , Thailand , Laos reached the semi-finals of the football after other results went their way. Myanmar took gold in the event after defeating Vietnam in the final. Thailand took the bronze medal after they beat Laos 5-2 in the third place play-off.

In 1971 in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia , seven teams competed in football - Laos , Malaysia , Cambodia , Thailand , Vietnam , Myanmar and Singapore . Burma took gold, Malaysia silver, while Vietnam and Thailand both got bronze after playing a draw.

The games were held in Singapore in 1973, and Myanmar won, which was contested by teams from Laos , Singapore , Thailand , Malaysia , Myanmar and Vietnam .

The event at the 1975 games in Bangkok , Thailand and the 1977 games in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia were won by the host nations.

The Malaysian football team won gold at the 1979 games in Jakarta , Indonesia and the 1981 games in Manila , Philippines .

The football event at the 1983 games in Singapore was contested by Malaysia , Singapore , Philippines , Thailand , Indonesia , Brunei and Myanmar . Thailand won gold medal, Singapore silver and Malaysia bronze.

Thailand claimed back-to-back titles after winning at the 1985 games in Bangkok .

The 1987 games were held in Jakarta , Indonesia and the hosts claimed the football gold medal, followed by Malaysia and Thailand .

In 1989 in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia again the host nation claimed gold, while Singapore won silver and defending champions Indonesia took the bronze medal.

At the 1991 games in Manila , Philippines , defending champions Malaysia were knocked out in the preliminary rounds. Indonesia took gold, Thailand silver and Singapore bronze.

In 1993 in Singapore , the hosts claimed bronze while Thailand won gold and Myanmar finished runner-up.

In 1995 in Chiang Mai , Thailand , the football event was contested by ten nations – Thailand , Myanmar , Laos , Brunei , Philippines , Cambodia , Indonesia , Malaysia , Vietnam and Singapore . The host nation took the gold medal, followed by Vietnam and Singapore .

In 1997 in Jakarta , Indonesia , Thailand again won gold, with Indonesia and Vietnam taking the other places.

Thailand again claimed at the 1999 games in Brunei , with Vietnam taking silver and Indonesia bronze.

Thailand , Malaysia and Myanmar took home medals from the football event at the 2001 games in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia ,

In 2003 in Vietnam , once again Thailand claimed gold, while Vietnam won silver.

The results were exactly the same at the 2005 games in the Philippines , with Malaysia taking bronze.

At the 2007 games in Thailand , the medals went to Thailand , Myanmar and Singapore .


By Times Reporters

Photo: Khotsaya, Lao football player is now training in Vietnam

Eleven Lao sports squads are currently training for the 25th SEA Games in foreign countries.

These training camps are expected to provide additional coaching techniques and competition experience to help build confidence and bring Lao sporting teams up to international standard.

Lao athletes training in other countries say the camps improve their motivation as well as their skills and they are pleased they will be stronger competitors for their country when it hosts the games.

At the last SEA Games in Thailand in 2007, many of the Lao teams that had trained overseas were more successful than those that had not.

Vietnam has been an important supporter of Laos in providing advisors and training facilities. Sixteen Lao wrestlers and their trainers have been training in Vietnam since April, while 20 pencak silat fighters are also currently training there.

Other Lao teams to train in Vietnam include seven divers, who are there from June to August, as well as 14 swimmers training from April to August.

Thirty-four male footballers are training in Vietnam from July to November, while some wushu san shou fighters are there from May to November. Another group of wushu san shou and wushu tao lu teams are training in China from August to October.

Five Lao female cyclists trained in Malaysia from July to August and participated in international competitions before returning to Vientiane . Five male cyclists also trained in Malaysia for one month recently.

Fourteen Lao taekwondo fighters have been training in South Korea since June and are expected back in November, while six wrestlers are training in Mongolia from April to September.

Eighteen karatedo fighters and their trainers have arrived back in Vientiane after training in Vietnam recently.

Sixteen judo fighters and trainers are training in Vietnam from August until November.

Some members of the Lao boxing team are in Milan , Italy from August to September. The boxers will fight in the World Championships in Milan before returning to Laos .

Twenty Lao shuttle cock players are training in Vietnam from August to October.

Currently, four Thai trainers are training the Lao athletics team for the track and field events at the games.

The men's football squad is under the guidance of an Austrian coach.

After returning from the training camps in other countries, the athletes will continue their training in camps in Vientiane .

By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes

In the August 18th-19th ,Lao Football Federation (LFF) will orazine the warm-up matches with the papular clubs from Vietnam and Thailand at the provicial stadium of Champasak province, Southern Laos ,according to Mr Viengsavan Siengphachanh the football game organizing Manager reports the warm up matches ,Laos National football team will vesus three teams from vietnam and Thailand. vietnam will send the Hong an Ya Lai club and thailand will send RATHSANAVY LAYONG and TTM SAMODSAKHONE clubs to praticipate the game. as for Lao team now is training at the National traning center (syketh) ,Coach saysana Savathdee and Bounlap are resbonsible for training . Laos team has jointed the training at the Hong An Ya lai clubs of vietnam before returing to Syketh.

U23 squads have been selected the best players throughout the country and every boys are concentrate on training and enthusiasm,the target of training are to improve the enegy of players, strongness is very important and improve to shooting,especially the accuracy on goal according to a coach Saysana Savatdee told vientianmai , he also adds that the quality of our football at the 25th seagames will be better than before and he asks for all lao football fans to cheer up and to encourage the boys to success and the boys may make a new history of Laos football.

The Democratic People's Republic (D.P.R.) of Korea have booked their place in the semi-finals of the football competition with a last gasp goal to beat Lao People's Democratic Republic (P.D.R.) 4-2.

It was a scene right out of the movie scripts. Ironically, as "Game of Their Lives", a movie featuring the D.P.R. of Korea football team's fairytale run in the 1966 World Cup, was premiering in Singapore, one featuring their Under-14 side in the 1st Asian Youth Games (AYG) Singapore 2009 was also taking place at Temasek Polytechnic.

Group B's final match between D.P.R. of Korea and Lao P.D.R. was not for the faint hearted, as the lead changed hands three times throughout the match. Even then, it was the injury time goal that saw D.P.R. of Korea oust Saudi Arabia to take second spot in Group B. (refer to group table below)

D.P.R. of Korea needed to make up the difference of three points and the goal difference of six goals to overtake Saudi Arabia for second spot in Group B.

They seemed well on the way to fulfilling the goal tally needed in on 17 minutes when Jo Sol Song poked home a Ro Kwang Yong freekick that crashed off the crossbar.

But the Laotian boys were up for the game and struck back three minutes later. Striker Lembo Saysana intercepted a clearance and made a penetrating run past the Korean defence. Clear on goal, he sent in a low driving shot that left Korean goalkeeper Kwon Kum Chol with no chance.

Emboldened by the equalizer, Lao P.D.R. went in search of another goal. Keomoukda Sisanon stood over a freekick right outside the D.P.R. of Korea penalty box and curled in a powerful shot to give his side a surprise 2-1 lead.



It looked as if it was not meant to be for D.P.R. of Korea. Right after the restart, Ro Kwang Yong managed to find Laotian goalkeeper Soukthavy Soundala one-on-one, but his shot struck the left goalpost. Strike partner Jo Kwang Mong was first to the rebound but his shot bounced off the other goalpost.

Jo Jol Song came through for his side yet again in the 45th minute. He chased down a high through ball behind the Laotian defense and passed the ball across onrushing goalkeeper Soukthavy Soundala to team mate Ri Jong Hyok. Ri made no mistake from point blank range to equalise for D.P.R. of Korea.



The Korean side could smell the winning goal coming and increased the pressure on Lao P.D.R.'s defence. Ri Jong Hyok managed to infiltrate the Laotian defence to give his side the lead with a goal similar to Lao P.D.R.'s first.

News filtered through in the 70th minute that the Republic of Korea was leading 5-0, meaning that D.P.R. of Korea needed just one more goal to go through, and the crowd began to urge the Korean boys on.

It was all-out attack for D.P.R. of Korea, but Lao P.D.R.'s substitute goalkeeper Southakone Thammada was on hand to stop several point blank shots.

In the second minute of stoppage time, it looked as if it was a case of 'so near, yet so far' for the Koreans, but enter Jo Jol Song. Ro Kwang Yong's powerful shot was saved by Southakone Thammada, and Jo was quickest to the parried ball, smashing home a dramatic goal to bag his second of the day, and give his side the required two-goal lead.



Alex Tran, manager of the Lao P.D.R. team, was happy for his boys: "I told them to go play their game today. They were too concerned about the opponents' size before. I told them to just enjoy themselves, the result doesn't matter, and they did play well."

Top goal scorer for the Laotian side Lembo Saysana was happy despite not making it to the semi-finals: "I am very happy; it is my first experience in such a big tournament. It has been a memorable time in Singapore. I wish I don't need to go back, but I have to."

D.P.R. of Korea coach was glad to qualify for the next stage. He said: "We were pressured coming into this game. We knew we had to make six goals and win to at least have a chance. The boys were not told the result of the other match, they were told to just give their best, and luckily for us, we made it through."

He added: "I don't think we played our best today, they (Lao P.D.R.) scored two goals against us. We must improve on that when we play in the semi-finals."

D.P.R. of Korea hero Jo Jol Song said happily: " I am happy for the goal, and more because it is important to the team, who worked hard in this tournament."



GROUP B
Country P W D L F A GD PTS
Republic of Korea 3 3 0 0 16 1 15 9
D.P.R. of Korea 3 1 1 1 6 7 -1 4
Saudi Arabia 3 1 1 1 6 8 -2 4
Lao P.D.R. 3 0 0 3 4 16 -12 0