25th SEA Games, Laos

(KPL) The Lao National Taekwondo Federation sent seven taekwondo fighters for a three-month training stint in the Republic of Korea to prepare them for the coming competition in the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane in December 2009.

The federation held a farewell ceremony for its athletes on 29 July and this event was attended by the President of Lao National Taekwondo Federation, Mr Vilay Douangmany.

Mr Vilay, who delivered the farewell speech, advised the sportsmen to train hard, to dutifully obey their instructors and to learn new techniques.

During their training, Lao fighters would be competing in the Korean Taekwondo Open and other competitions in Korea and such experiences would further condition them to reach their peak.

Three of the Lao fighters would be participating in the World Taekwondo Championship in Denmark and after that they will become back to Laos and continue to train in the National Training Centre in Sikeuth, Vientiane.

In order to give the best training the federation recruited Jin Jung Woo, a South Korean and a world class trainer in this sport to train the Lao team. He won the world taekwando championship title in 1996 and he trained the Lao team in 2003.

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

KOICA present Swimming Supplies for 25th SEA Game

(KPL) Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) donated swimming supplies to National Swimming Federation for the best record in the 25th Southeast Asia Games.

Hand over ceremony was held on April 30, Vientiane, which the aid was handed over by Ms. Hong Hee Soo, Vice Resident Representative of KOICA, to Mr. Phankham Vongkhanty, Vice President of National Swimming Federation.

The swimming equipments include swimming suits, caps and etc for Lao National Swimming Team worth about US$ 1,900.

Mr. Phankham expressed thanks to KOICA and Korea Oversea Volunteer (KOV) for providing assistance to Laos, he also hoped KOV would further support assistance in the future.

Since 2001, KOICA has been running cooperation programs and has dispatched 187 KOVs to 10 provinces of Lao PDR. At present, 49 volunteers including four doctors, five experts are carrying out their mission and working with in 37 governmental organizations. And KOICA allocated approximately 10 million US dollars to Lao PDR in this year for various cooperation programs.

A taekwondo training centre and the new "Olympasia" indoor stadium at the National University of Laos will house the wrestling and sepak takraw events at the 25 th SEA Games in Vientiane in 2009.

The Booyoung Company from the Republic of Korea donated US$300,000 (about 2.7 billion kip) in July last year to the Lao National Sports Committee to finance the construction of the taekwondo training centre.

The Lao National Sports Committee is overseeing the building of the training centre, which is scheduled for completion in April this year.

The Lao taekwondo team will train there in preparation for the 25 th SEA Games.

However, work on the Olympasia indoor stadium has come to a halt due to budget constraints.

Its construction was planned in two phases, with the first from January to June, 2006, at a cost of US$140,000 (about 1.2 billion kip).

When more funding is secured, it is planned that the stadium will seat 700. It will be 36 metres wide and 42 metres in length, with a height of 18 metres.

By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes

(KPL) The Lao government has recently granted the Booyoung Co, Ltd from the Republic of Korea to develop a 27-hole golf course for the 2009 SEA Games, which will be hosted by Laos.

The course which is expected to be completed by May 2009, is located on a 300-ha site at KM 18 in Saythany district, Vientiane Capital.

The US$ 12 million project was signed at a ceremony held on 31 July at the Lao Plaza Hotel, Vientiane, between Mr Soulivong Dalavong, President of the Committee for Planning and Investment, on behalf of the Lao Government and Mr Lee Joong Keun, Chairman of the Booyoung Co., Ltd.

The agreement was also signed by the President of the Lao National Sports Committee, Dr. Phouthong Seng-akhom, the Vice-Mayor of Vientiane, Mr. Bounchanh Sinthavong.

The ceremony was witnessed by the Standing Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Somsavat Lengsavad.

This is the first investment in Laos for the Booyoung Co., Ltd. So far the company has donated more than US$ 5 million to develop the education for poor people in remote rural areas of Laos .

Source: kpl