25th SEA Games, Laos

More than 100 hundred Lao athletes will continue to train in Vientiane in preparation for the 25th SEA Games next month after successfully completing training programmes in neighbouring countries.

Members of the pencak silat, fin swimming and wrestling teams are currently training in Vietnam and will return to Vientiane this month.

The swimming squad is training in Bangkok , Thailand , while the taekwondo team (artistic style) is practising in the Republic of Korea and divers are preparing in Beijing , China . All will return to Vientiane by the end of this month.

Lao athletes are eager to perform well at their home games after improving their skills at training camps abroad over the past year.

It is expected the fin swimming, swimming and diving teams will struggle to win medals at the event because they have only had a short preparation period and lack experience at the international level.

However, the martial arts teams are expected to perform well at the games and the Lao Wrestling Federation currently has 11 male and three female athletes training in Vietnam .

A member of the Lao wrestling coaching team, Mr Manolom, said the federation will select a final squad for the games when the team returns to Laos .

The national shuttlecock team concluded a four month training camp in Hanoi , Vietnam , this month. During that time the team won a bronze medal at a Vietnamese national event and two silver and two bronze medals in the Asian Indoor Games.

The team was buoyed by their recent successes and are confident of claiming medals when their nation hosts the regional sporting event in December.

The boxing, archery, taekwondo, karatedo, and athletics teams are currently training at the National Sports Training Centre in Sikeud village, Naxaithong district.

The petanque, table tennis, volleyball and other squads are training at camps around Vientiane .

It is expected all 25 national teams competing in the games will be training in Vientiane by the end of this month.

During the games, the track and field, swimming, fin swimming, diving, volleyball and beach volleyball, badminton, tennis, football, archery and shooting events will all be held at the National Stadium in Xaythany district.

The billiards and snooker contests will be held at the Don Chan Palace hotel, while the boxing and wrestling events will be held in the Olympasia gymnasium at the National University of Laos Dongdok campus.

The university will also host the table tennis and petanque events, while the weightlifting will take place at the nearby Phonsavanh School in Dongdok village.

The golf event will take place at the SEA Games golf course in Phokham village, Xaythany district.

The judo and karatedo events will be contested at the Lao-Japan Budo Centre in Anou village, Chanthabouly district, while the sepak takraw, pencak silat, and wushu events will be held at the Lao-ITECC.

The muay (kick-boxing) and shuttlecock events are to be held at the indoor stadium in Beung Kha Ngong village.

By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes

The Lao national taekwondo team will be aiming to show off their improved techniques in the poom sa (artistic) event at the RDC Taekwondo Championship in Bangkok , Thailand , on June 20-21.

More than 50 taekwondo federations at the international level will attend the championship.

The Lao Taekwondo Federation will send seven male and four female fighters to compete in the poom sa event.

Lao taekwondo coach Mr Chanthavong Panyasily said he wanted to test the team's skill as they prepare for a stab at a medal at the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane in December.

The Lao poom sa team won a bronze medal in the 9th Asean Taekwondo Championship in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam , from June 4-7.

Meanwhile the federation will send four male and four female fighters in different divisions to compete in standard competition at the championship in Bangkok .

Some of the best Lao fighters will not compete in the championship after sustaining injuries at the championship in Vietnam . The team won a gold and two silver medals in the event.

The injured fighters will be replaced for the Bangkok event.

Mr Chanthavong said the Lao taekwondo team was hopeful of winning gold medals in Bangkok because they were fit enough.

At the RDC championship in Bangkok last year, the Lao team won six gold, two silver and five bronze medals from the fighting discipline of taekwondo.

Lao taekwondo coach Mr Chang Kuk Park and the team will go to Bangkok today.

The team will continue training at the National Sports Training Centre in Sikeuth village, Naxaithong district, on their return from Thailand .

The federation will select a squad to train in South Korea from July to September.

By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientiane

The team will compete in standard fighting and poom sa (artistic style) events.

Lao fighters are rated a good chance in the standard fighting event, but there is less optimism regarding the artistic event, which is new for the team.

Nonetheless, both teams welcome the chance to improve their skills prior to the challenges presented this coming December.

The Lao Taekwondo Federation (LTF) is seeking to perfect the team's technique in preparation for the 25th SEA Games, to be held in Vientiane from December 9-18.

The federation sent five male fighters (54, 58, 62, 67 and 72kg division) and five female fighters (47, 51, 55, 63 and 67kg categories) for the fighting event.

Three male and two female fighters will compete in the men's team (three fighters), the mixed doubles, and men's and women's singles for the dance event.

LTF President Police Brigadier General Vilay Duangmany said fighters were training to build their skills and stamina and none lacked the courage required.

The Lao taekwondo team will continue training at the National Sports Training Centre in Sikeuth village, Naxaithong district, after returning from Vietnam .

Coach Chanthavong Panyasily said Lao fighters would compete in every weight category at this ninth championship in Vietnam , as they would in the SEA games.

At the Vietnam event, the team is led by coaches Mr Chanthavong and Mr Chang Kuk Park .

The federation will select fighters to train in the Republic of Korea from July to September.

The Lao team won one silver and five bronze medals at the 8th ASEAN Taekwondo Championship in Ho Chi Minh City in 2007.

The silver medalist in the men's 58kg category of the 8th championship, Phouthavong Outthasak, 22, has said he is ready for this year's championship.

Two male fighters, Phoutthasone Thammavong and Savatvilay Phimmasone, won gold and silver medals respectively at the Francophonie Taekwondo Competition in France last month, which involved athletes from more than 30 countries.

Mr Phoutthasone, 20, won a gold medal in the 58kg division and Mr Savatvilay won a silver medal in the 68kg division.

Both will compete in the men's 62kg and the men's 72kg divisions at the Vietnam championship.



By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes

ANZ Bank supports Lao taekwondo team


Mr Vilay Douangmany (left) and Mr Kerrod Thomas shake hands at the Lao National Sports Committee office.

Seven male and five female Lao taekwondo fighters will be aiming to win at least two gold medals at the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane next year.

The ANZ Vientiane Commercial Bank will provide funding to assist the Lao taekwondo team from this December up until the SEA Games.

The squad has been training at the national camp in Vientiane under the instruction of Mr Kim, a South Korean taekwondo trainer, since the middle of this year.

The Lao Taekwondo Federation held a signing ceremony with federation President, Mr Vilay Douangmany, and ANZ Vientiane Manager Director, Mr Kerrod Thomas, at the Lao National Sports Committee office yesterday. The event was attended by committee officials and Lao taekwondo fighters.

Mr Vilay thanked the bank for sponsoring the taekwondo team and expressed confidence the team would win gold medals at the games.

Mr Kerrod said taekwondo was popular in Laos and many young people were becoming interested in the sport after Lao fighters won medals in international events last year.

The federation will select the best fighters from the eighth National Games to be held in Champassak province in December to participate in the SEA Games.

The national squad will train in South Korea early next year.

The taekwondo event at the SEA Games will have eight men's categories (54kg and 58-84kg) and eight women's categories (47kg and 51-72kg).

The federation's best male fighter is Mr Savathvilay Phimmasone, who won a bronze medal in the Asian Taekwondo Championships in Zhengzhou district, China , last May.

At the 24th SEA Games in Thailand last December, the Lao national team won one silver medal and five bronze medals.

Vientianetimes

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