This week more than 130 Miss SEA Games and 78 officials will learn how to present medals in ceremonies at the SEA Games.
Officials from the Ministry of National Defence and Miss SEA Games will jointly assist in medal presentations to athletes who gain third, second and first places.
They are being specially trained by Lao National Sports Committee Vice President Somphou Phongsa and other officials. They will learn the correct procedures to follow during the medal presentations.
They will learn more than just how to carry the medals. As representatives of Laos they will also be shown how to present themselves well by the way they stand, speak, sit, walk, smile and wear traditional dress and uniform.
The officials will hold the flag of each country as the medals are presented.
Mr Somphou said the medal presentations were a special occasion for the host country because all those participating were visible at every stage of the event and must make a good impression.
The Lao National Sports Committee will present medals to athletes taking part in 381 events in 25 sports.
The officials and Miss SEA Games will assist the senior guests and high ranking officials who will present the medals to successful athletes.
Mr Somphou said athletes would also be given the SEA Games mascots, the Champa and Champi elephants, during the presentation.
At the first training course, officials learned about their responsibilities including security and preparing the flags of each country.
They were all volunteers and were expected to do well in their duties at the games, he said.
The Miss SEA Games were selected by the Ministry of Information and Culture last year. They will represent Lao women in the medal presenting ceremonies.
Mr Somphou also said they would welcome and assist foreign guests during the games.
He said they and the officials should be careful not to make mistakes during the medal presentations because the events would be broadcast live on television.
He believed they would be successful because similar ceremonies went smoothly at the eighth National Games held in Champassak province last December.
The officials and Miss SEA Games will undergo training twice more in October and in November.
Medals will be presented at several sports venues, including the National University of Laos, the National Football Stadium, Chao Anouvong football stadium and indoor stadiums.
The Miss SEA Games have already attended courses held at the university about the 25 sports, the history of the SEA Games, tourism and Lao culture.
Not only are the national athletes preparing themselves for the biggest sporting competition ever held in Laos , but hundreds of Miss SEA Games participants are also practising for the events this December.
The beautiful ladies will present their knowledge of tradition and culture, social manners, history and more during the games.
Miss SEA Games trainer, Mr Sopha Inthavongsa, said yesterday that they will also practise their performance in the opening and closing ceremonies and the presentation of medals during the games.
“Next month, they will meet with local trainers from involved sectors. They will also learn the history of the SEA Games and tourism spots around the city. They will learn how to talk about them in English so they can relay the information to visitors,” he explained.
Most of the 100 Miss SEA Games participants were chosen in the last few months from 3,000 volunteers and liaison officers, including students and officials from the National University of Laos and other schools, as well as various ministries in the capital.
“Eleven of them were selected to hold participating countries' banners from South East Asian nations during the opening and closing ceremonies,” Mr Sopha added.
A representative of Miss SEA Games, Ms Sengsavanh Chanthavong, said that she would present Lao traditional dress and culture to foreign visitors as much as possible during the events.
“I also want to present Lao tourism spots to them. I already know a large amount of information about them from books, but I will learn more with the SEA Games committees,” she explained.
Mr Sopha reported that most of the ladies have previously visited many important historical spots in Vientiane , as well as participated in many important events related to the games.
“One of the most important aspects of being involved in Miss SEA Games' activities is learning about traditional dance from all over Laos , because they will perform these during the games,” he said.
He expressed that the ladies will be cultural ambassadors, representing all Lao women to international visitors.
Miss SEA Games participant, Ms Kesone Phachansily, said she was very honoured to have an opportunity to work with the organising committee as an ambassador.
“It is a great honour for our country to host the SEA Games and it is also a good chance to promote our country to the world and the rest of the region,” said Ms Kesone.
“During the games, when I meet with visitors from other countries, I will tell them about Lao culture and history and also talk about some of our popular tourist attractions,” she said.
All finalists of the Ms SEA Games Ambassador competition are looking forward to introducing the country's history, culture, people, lifestyle and tourist attractions to visitors during the 25th SEA Games, which will take place from December 9-18 in Vientiane
The SEA Games Organising Committee initially chose 100 Ms SEA Games ambassadors to take part in the games.
A shortlist of 30 young ladies has already been selected by the committee to receive special coaching from September 15 to 30 before a decision on the final group is made.
Eleven ladies will have the important role of leading teams of athletes from each country into the stadium during the opening and closing ceremonies.
Others will assist the committee during medal presentations and serving VIP guests.
The Vientiane Times spoke to two ladies on the shortlist.
Both of them are experienced in social-entertainment activities and are now working as public relations and marketing staff at the Novotel Hotel in Vientiane .
Ms Kesone Phachansily, 24, is a sales executive with the hotel and said she is very honoured to have an opportunity to work with the organising committee as a Ms SEA Games ambassador.
“It is a great honour for our country to host the SEA Games and it is also a good chance to promote our country to the world,” said Ms Kesone, who also speaks English and Vietnamese.
“During the games, when I meet with visitors from other countries I will tell them about Lao culture and history and also talk about some of our popular tourist attractions,” she said.
Ms Kesone lives in Thongkhankham village, Chanthabouly district in Vientiane and has three younger brothers and sisters.
Another on the shortlist is 23-year old Ms Malaithip Singsahanath from Dongdok village, Xaythany district of Vientiane. She works in the public relations department at the Novotel Hotel.
Ms Malaithip has one sister and a young brother. She used to play badminton and volleyball and go swimming with them, but now her time is very limited due to work and study commitments. However, she still tries to make time to play some sport, especially badminton.
“I was very surprised when I was named in the Ms SEA Games shortlist, but I think my chances of making the final eleven are only 50-50 because everyone on the list is very talented and knowledgeable,” Ms Malaithip said.
“Hosting the SEA Games is a great honour for Laos and I am confident that our country will have many successes,” she said.
Both Ms Kesone and Ms Malaithip are also experienced models at fashion shows in other official ceremonies.
The games will involve athletes from the 11 nations of Laos , Vietnam , Cambodia , Brunei , Thailand , Malaysia , Indonesia , Myanmar , Philippines , Singapore , and Timor Leste.
The games aim to promote friendship, solidarity and understanding between countries in the region, while promoting sport and providing an opportunity for athletes to compete in order to improve their performances at the Asian Games and Olympic Games.
Eleven Miss SEA Games took part in an event held at That Luang yesterday to celebrate Olympic Day and the 50th anniversary of the SEA Games Federation (SEAGF).
The ladies were joined by officials and local people.
The eleven women were selected from a field of 100 last Saturday by the Lao National Sports Committee (LNSC) and the SEA Games organising committee.
They have been charged with the responsibility of parading placards bearing the names of the 11 competing nations around the main stadium during the 25th SEA Games, to be held in Vientiane in December.
The road to the SEA Games has begun and these young ladies are already in the thick of the action.
The young Miss SEA Games representatives were the highlight of the event, as the crowd of onlookers was joined by equally entranced reporters.
They joined with students from schools to play games that included nhang kheekhep (a four-legged race), tug-of-war and top spinning.
The event was organised by the LNSC, and began early yesterday morning.
Students and local residents were joined by officials from several ministries as well as the 25th SEA Games organising committee.
Also in attendance was Minister to the Prime Minister's Office and LNSC President Dr Phouthong Seng Akhom, who spoke at the event.
He said the day was aimed at inspiring people with the Olympic dream of friendly and peaceful competition between nations.
“We celebrate the Journee Olympique once every two years with athletic activities and traditional and general sports,” he said.
He said the same ideals were central to the SEA Games philosophy as the federation celebrated 50 years of sports.
A SEAGF council meeting held in Vientiane last year approved the activities for the 50th anniversary.
According to the website wikipedia, the Southeast Asian Games owes its origins to the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, or SEAP Games.
On May 22, 1958, delegates from countries in the Southeast Asian peninsula attending the 3rd Asian Games in Tokyo , Japan , agreed to establish a sports organisation.
The SEAP Games was conceptualised by Luang Sukhumnaipradit, then Vice-President of Thailand's Olympic Committee.
The proposed rationale was that a regional sports event would help promote cooperation, understanding and relations among countries in the Southeast Asian region.
Thailand , Myanmar , Malaysia , Laos , Vietnam and Cambodia were founding members, and were later to be joined by Singapore .
These countries agreed to hold the Games biannually.
The SEAP Games Federation Committee was formed, with the first SEAP Games held in Bangkok from December 12-17, 1959.
Events featured more than 527 athletes and officials from Thailand , Myanmar , Malaysia , Singapore , Vietnam and Laos participating in 12 sports.
At the 8th SEAP Games in 1975, the SEAP Federation considered the inclusion of Indonesia and the Philippines .
The two countries were formally admitted in 1977, the same year the SEAP Federation changed its name to Southeast Asian Games Federation, and the games have since been known as the Southeast Asian Games.
Brunei was admitted to the 10th SEA Games in Jakarta , Indonesia , The most recent entrant, Timor-Leste, joined proceedings for the 22nd SEA Games in Hanoi , Vietnam .
Photo: Miss Vanphakone Insouvong ( right ) and Miss SEA Games representatives pose at the committee's office.
The Lao National Sports Committee (LNSC) will select 11 Miss SEA Games representatives at the committee's office on Saturday to carry placards bearing the names of the 11 countries participating in the 25th SEA Games.
The 11 ladies will parade the placards around the main stadium during the games in Vientiane in December.
They will be selected from a group of 100 selected by the Ministry of Information and Culture (MIC) last year.
The group is currently improving their general knowledge, awareness of Lao culture and dancing skills, and will dance to songs specially chosen for the games. They are also touring important sites around the capital.
Most of the group are students at the National University of Laos or other institutions in the capital.
At the committee's office on Saturday, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Buangeun Xaphouvong presented the group of 100 to LNSC Vice President Bualane Silypanya.
The LNSC will teach the ladies about the technical aspects of each sport to be contested at the games.
Mr Buangeun said the group had shown good patience with their training, were confident about performing in public and had a good knowledge of social and economic topics.
They were also culturally aware and knew how to behave with diplomatic guests after receiving training relating to appropriate attire, speech and presentation.
He said the group would be able to use their knowledge to ensure the games were a success and to gain future employment.
Mr Bualane said the ladies would work with more than 3,000 volunteers and liaison staff to ensure the games run smoothly.
The 3,000 volunteers and liaison staff are students and officials from the National University of Laos, colleges, schools and ministries in the capital.
Mr Bualane said the Miss SEA Games representatives would be involved in welcoming important guests and presenting medals to athletes.
One Miss SEA Games representative, Miss Vanphakone Insouvong, is confident of her ability to carry out her duties after receiving training from the MIC.
She was very proud to represent the Lao people at this historic event, which would be a good opportunity for Laos to show it could host future international sporting events.
She said she was ready to be involved in the games and hoped to be one of the 11 selected to participate in the opening and closing ceremonies.
Miss Vanphakone lives in Donekoy village in Sisattanak district. She is currently in her fifth year of a degree in dentistry at the University of Health Sciences .
The final selection of 100 Ms SEA Games representatives will take place on Friday at the National Culture Hall in Vientiane.
More than 200 girls have applied to the contest, but only 100 will be chosen for the role.
Eleven country placard bearers will be selected from the 100 representatives to take part in the stadium parade that precedes the games, which will be held next December in Vientiane.
The 100 selected participants will introduce themselves to the public for the first time at Patuxay Monument at the start of the countdown to the SEA Games, which will begin on New Year's Eve.
Organising sub-committee member, Mr Sopha Inthavong, said nationwide applications opened at the end of July, and the three-part selection process would culminate in the announcement this Friday.
Applicants were required to be Lao citizens, aged between 18 and 25, and have a pleasant personality and good manners.
Participants also had to be single and be communicative, intelligent, knowledgeable, talented and able to speak English.
Before the candidates were presented yesterday to the organising committee at the National Culture Hall, they received training in social etiquette and ceremonial presentation. Mr Sopha, who is also one of the trainers, said training would continue after the selection process.
“After their selection, the 100 Ms SEA Games representatives will return to the National Culture Hall stage, where they will practise how to nop (perform the traditional greeting), stand and act in a socially appropriate manner,” Mr Sopha said.
He said those who were selected would also learn how to speak English and take part in various activities, such as visiting important sites in Vientiane like That Luang and the Hor Phra Keo museum.
They will be trained by staff who will give them suggestions on the wearing of traditional clothes and tennis dress, before their public presentation on December 31.
They will also learn how to dance to a selection of songs and rhythm, and be guided in their choice of clothes.
An 18-year-old participant in the contest, Ms Soudaphone Tilakhoun, who attends Pakpasak Technical School , said she was persuaded by her friend to apply. She is hopeful of being selected in the group of 100 on Friday.
“ Laos will host the SEA Games for the first time, and I wanted to play a part in serving the nation,” she said. “As a Lao girl I want to give other people an insight into Lao culture, both in Laos and overseas.”
Another participant, Ms Bouasavanh Phanthamit, 18, from Luang Prabang, who studies at Rattana Business Administration College , said she too wanted to serve her country while building her confidence.
“Actually I'm shy and never thought I could take part in the selection process, but I've discovered I'm confident enough to go through with it,” she said.
(KPL) Lao National Sport Committee last Friday organized a press conference on the preparation for Miss SEA Games Contest 2009. The games will be held on 9-18 December next year in Vientiane.
The press conference was chaired by Deputy President of Lao National Sport Committee, Mr Boualan Silipanya, and attended by concerned officials.
“This event aims to have Miss Sea Games, who will serve as sport and cultural ambassadors of the event,” Mr Boualan said.
Women, aged between 18 and 25, with the height of over 155cm, single, fluent in both Lao and English and healthy, can apply for the contest with the Secretariat of Miss Sea Games Contest at Lao National Sport Committee Office between 1 July and 15 September.
