The 25th SEA Games Accommodation and Food Committee reported last week that a large number of Thai and Vietnamese sports fans will attend the games in Vientiane next month.
Various committees involved with the organising the games met in Vientiane on Friday to discuss final preparations for the event.
Committee Vice Chairman, Dr Sila Mounthalavong, said the committee is working in cooperation with local hotels and restaurants to ensure that demand can be met during the event.
“Various associations have informed us that large groups of supporters from those countries have already booked accommodation and they're also expecting many visitors from Cambodia and Myanmar ,” he said.
“Sports clubs and fan associations in neighbouring nations have inquired about services at the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge during the games, such as opening hours and expected waiting times.”
“We've also had requests for timetable and scheduling information so that visitors can plan their trips here,” Dr Sila said.
The SEA Games Organising Committee is currently in the process of compiling the relevant information which can be provided for distribution in neighbouring countries.
Dr Sila called on the relevant committees to publicise scheduling and other information as soon as possible.
“Some visitors will actually be coming to Laos over the next week or so because some sports events begin on December 2, so it would be good if such information was available for visitors when they arrive,” he said.
Standing Deputy Prime Minister and SEA Games Organising Committee Chairman Somsavat Lengsavad asked all committees involved with the games to cooperate to quickly produce scheduling information for visitors.
The committees pledged to ensure the required information is publicly available by the end of this week.
(KPL) The Lao National Football Federation is cooperating with the Crossfire Company to host the four-nation pre-SEA Games men?s football tournament, which the company donated 100 million kip to cover the expenses.
Football?s fans would be able to see national football teams from Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam in action in Vientiane from 2 to 6 October.
This five-day tournament would enable the SEA Games officials to test the broadcasting system and other facilities of the new national stadium.
Speaking during a press conference held here on Tuesday evening, President of the Lao National Football Federation, Mr Phouvanh Vongsouthi, said this tournament would serve as .a testing ground of the overall functioning of the various systems of the new stadium.
On 2 October Laos will play against Thailand and Vietnam will meet Malaysia. On 4 October the Malaysian team will play against Thailand and Laos will face Vietnam. On the last day Laos will meet Malaysia and Vietnam will play against Thailand. The evening matches will commence at 4:30 pm and 7 pm.
Each match ticket will be availableat the rate of 40,000 kip for general admission and 80.000 kip for VIP seats. Proceeds from the sale of tickets will be used to fund local football matches.
In order to raise the standard of local media to international standard, the Crossfire Company engaged Total Sports Asia (TSA), an international media company, to bring foreign experts to provide media training to the SEA Games personnel and to the Lao National Television.
The Lao National Television will provide the broadcast feed to TSA for distribution to Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and other countries.
Crossfire Company Director, Thiphakhanh Vilavanh said the Four-Nations Football Tournament will have a special significance for Laos as it will enable her to demonstrate to the international audience that she is capable of hosting international quality events and to use the air waves to beam the games to the living rooms of people in the world.
During this press conference, the Lao National Football Federation, the Lao National Television and the Crossfire Company signed a cooperation agreement.
The main sponsors of the tournament are Lao Beer, Tigo, Don Chan Palace Hotel and C-Pack Monia.
(KPL) A Lao Shuttlecock Federation organized in Vientiane on 23 June a seminar to upgrade the basic knowledge on shuttlecock sport to referees who are working on shuttlecock sport.
Mr. Boviengkham Vongdala, President of the Lao shuttlecock federation was instructors opened the function. The trainers from Vietnam was invited to be the instructor for the course. This was a part of activities to prepare for the 25th SEA Games 2009 in Laos.
Today, the Lao Shuttlecock Federation has selected 18 shuttlecock athlete to be the member of the National shuttlecock team for 25th SEA Games.
Photo:Mr Somsavat Lengsavad ( second left ) accepts funding from the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam and Hong Quang company of Vietnam at a handover ceremony in Vientiane yesterday. –Photo Khamphanh
The Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) and the Vietnamese company Hong Quang have each presented about 850 million kip (US$100,000) to help fund the opening ceremony of the 25th SEA Games.
The handover ceremony took place on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Lao-Viet Bank in Vientiane yesterday.
Standing Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad, who is also the Chairman of the 25th SEA Games Organising Committee, accepted the funds from BIDV and Hong Quang on behalf of the Lao government.
BIDV Board of Directors Chairman Tran Bac Ha said it was part of the bank's commitment to the development of Laos .
“The bank is not only supporting the Lao-Viet Bank; we have also supported socio-economic development in Laos , including poverty reduction and education in the rural areas,” he said.
Mr Somsavat thanked Vietnam for supporting Laos in several fields of development, and the upcoming SEA Games in particular.
The 25th SEA Games is the first such event to be hosted by Laos , and the country hopes to produce some interesting surprises at the opening and closing ceremonies.
The organising committee has approved the date of the opening ceremony for December 9, while the closing ceremony will take place on December 18.
In regard to this year's SEA Games, the Vietnamese government has helped Laos by training athletes at Vietnamese camps.
Vietnam has also supported Laos by building an athletes' training centre in Vientiane at a cost of about 34 billion kip (US$4 million).
The centre, located in Sikeuth village, Naxaithong district, was officially opened earlier this year.
Another major SEA Games project receiving a grant and soft loan from the government of Vietnam is the athletes' village. The village is being built on a 42,000sqm site at the Dongdok campus of the National University of Laos. It is now 80 percent complete.
The government will spend more than 161 billion kip (US$19 million) on the project.
This amount comprises a loan of more than 127 billion kip (US$15 million) and a grant of 34 billion kip (US$4 million) from Hoang Anh Gia Lai Joint Stock Co of Vietnam . The remainder comes in the form of a soft loan with no defined interest rate.
Vietnam's aquatic sports association sends coaches to Laos
HANOI, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's Aquatic Sports Association will send experts to train Lao swimmers for the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Laos, local newspaper Vietnam News reported on Wednesday.
Swimming coach Nguyen Manh Tuan, who competed at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, said he would help Lao athletes to sharpen their skills.
The SEA Games is expected to take place next December. The Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam has agreed to finance 100,000 U.S. dollars for the SEA Games opening ceremony.
