25th SEA Games, Laos

Even though Lao wrestlers will be up against many experienced opponents at the SEA Games next month, the Lao Wrestling Federation is confident its teams will pick up medals.

The federation's Deputy Secretary General, Mr Manolom Phinith, said yesterday many of the federation's athletes have been training and competing abroad.

Members of the national team participated in a competition in Mongolia earlier this year and won three gold, two silver and one bronze medal between them.

“After training in Mongolia for about a month they participated in the competition and were very successful, much to the delight of their Mongolian coach. The national coach has remarked that Lao wrestling could do with more exposure of such successes,” he said.

The federation reported six Lao wrestlers just returned from Mongolia last month and there are a further 15 currently training in Vietnam who will return home in mid-November.

“We will select the best 13 wrestlers, including three women, for the SEA Games, after they have all returned from training abroad,” Mr Manolom said.

The federation was established in 2002 and first selected athletes from martial arts and body building to train in wrestling. The federation has sent athletes to compete at past SEA Games in Vietnam , the Philippines and Thailand .

“Our wrestlers won a bronze medal in Vietnam and the Philippines , and we also won two bronze medals at the 24th SEA Games in Thailand ,” he said.

Mr Manolom said Vietnam is a strong wrestling nation, but Lao wrestlers remain confident of success at their home games. “On behalf of the host nation, we believe our athletes will compete hard to win medals for their country.”

The wrestling event at the games will comprise freestyle and greco-roman events. In the freestyle category fighters are able to make contact with every part of the body, while in the greco-roman style contact is limited to above the waist.

The freestyle event will consist of 50, 55, 60, 66, 74, 84, 96 and 120kg weight divisions. The men's greco-roman event will be contested in eight weight categories ranging from 50 to 120kg.



By Souknilundon Southivongnorath
Vientianetimes

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