25th SEA Games, Laos

Various Lao sporting committees and federations on Friday joined local media to view progress on the construction of the 20,000-seat 25th SEA Games stadium in Dongsanghin village, Xaythany district, Vientiane .

Construction of the game's main stadium is now 90 percent complete and the construction company expects to hand over the facility to the Lao government in September.

Minister to the Prime Minister's Office and President of the Lao National Sports Committee, Dr Phouthong Seng Akhom, told media the stadium would be finished soon and the construction company will furnish and clean it before handing it over.

“More than 10 different events will be held at the stadium, including indoor and outdoor sports. The stadium is the first international standard stadium in Laos and will also host the opening and closing ceremonies for the games,” he said.

He said rumours that construction of facilities for the games will not be ready in time are untrue, as the main stadium is now 90 percent complete and overall preparations for the games are 80 percent complete.



Other indoor and outdoor courts at Chao-anouvong stadium in Anou village, Chanthabouly district, the International Trade Exhibition and Convention Centre, Beungkhayong stadium and facilities at the National University of Laos are also close to completion and are waiting to be fitted out with sports equipment.



Committees have been formed to oversee hospitality, transportation, travel arrangements and security during the games. They include representatives from the ministries of Public Works and Transport, Health, Public Security, and Information and Culture, the Lao National Tourism Administration and other organisations.

“We have received reports from each committee regarding their preparation efforts and some areas are close to completion while others need further work,” Dr Phouthong said.

The 25th SEA Games will take place from December 9 to 18, involving 390 events in the 25 sports of athletics, swimming, archery, badminton, snooker and billiards, muay, cycling, football, golf, judo, karatedo, sepak takraw, shooting, tennis, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, wrestling, weightlifting, boxing, pencak silat, petanque, fin swimming, diving and shuttlecock.

Athletes from Laos , Vietnam , Cambodia , Brunei , Thailand , Malaysia , Indonesia , Myanmar , the Philippines , Singapore and Timor Leste will take part.

By Souknilundon Southivongnorath
Vientianetimes

The 25th SEA Games stadium will be used for an inauguration of 2009 SEA Games hosted by Laos, is confirmed that it would be completed in timely manner, said a senior official is responsible for the construction.

The new football stadium where the opening and closing ceremonies of the games will take place is 65-80 percent complete, the indoor stadium is 90 percent complete, the petanque field is 80 percent complete and the taekwondo court is 95 percent complete

“Laos has enough budget for the construction of 25th SEA Games stadium, thanks to the financial support of Chinese Development Bank worth about US$ 80 million,” Meanwhile the Government has already made a decision to fork out a minimum of 69 billion kip to improve old existed stadiums in Vientiane Capital. All of them would be used for the football competition.

The construction work is under laying out water pipe system, land clearance and road construction access to the stadium, which expects to be completed before inauguration on December 2009.

The Laos National Sports Complex is located about 20 Km from the centre of Vientiane City and comprises a 20,000 seating capacity main stadium, a 2,000 seating capacity indoor aquatics complex, with a outdoor warm-up pool, a Tennis centre consisting of 2,000 seating capacity centre court plus 6 other tennis court, two indoor stadiums each with seating capacity of 3,000 and a indoor shooting range with 50 seats.

The sports complex is in a sprawling 185 ha site, with an Olympic Park, adequate parking lots, lakes and open spaces. An archery centre could be constructed in the open space next to the shooting range. There is adequate space for a trap and skeet range to be added later, if required.

“The stadium will be competed three months in advance in order to inspect its standard,” Mr Khiengkham stated further.

The 2009 SEA Games in Laos is being kept over eyes on from many countries.



Scale model of the Laos national Sports Complex. The indoor aquatics complex is the the foreground, with the tennis centre on its right (marked as 6). The National Stadium with the warm-up track on its left. The two indoor stadia are on the right of the National Stadium, and are marked as 3 & 4. The shooting range is at the top of the model. The Olympic Park is at the top of the model.

Photo of indoor stadium, National University of Laos. This photo was taken during the International Table tenis competition in Vientiane. Laos will host a major international competition in 2009: the South East Asia (SEA) Games where table tennis will be one of the events.