25th SEA Games, Laos

Lao wushu fighters smashed their medal target yesterday, winning three more gold medals to add to their tally in the sanshou finals on the last day of wushu events at Lao-ITECC.

The first gold came from Khamla Soukaphone, who beat Phan Vah Hau of Vietnam in the 52kg category. Phoxay Aphailath won the day?s second gold for Laos in the 56kg category, defeating the Philippines? Benjie Rivera, while a third came from Bouapha Valasith, who beat Junaidi Sukamto Rahmat from Indonesia in the 60kg category.
The President of the Lao Wushu Federation Mr Oudomsak Oudomthongkasem expressed his satisfaction that the Lao fighters had morethan doubled the federation?s medal target at the SEA Games, winning five gold, two silver and 4 bronze medals.

?Wushu is still a new sport in Laos, after this achievement our federation will expand in Vientiane and other provinces to draw on more resources and train good fighters to compete in the next SEA Games and do even better than in this event,? he said.

The Lao Wushu Federation entered 10 men and nine women in the 25th SEA Games wushu events, competing in men?s and women?s changquans (long fist, broad sword play and cud get), nanquans (southern fist and southern cudgel play), taijiquans (taijiquan and taijijian), duilian (barehand and weapon) and sanshou in weight categories of 45 to 65kg.

Their current successes build on those of previous SEA Games competitions, where in recent years Lao fighters have come away from the events with gold, silver and bronze medals.

Spectators around the country have been impressed by the high standard of Lao martial arts fighters and proud of the medals they won have at the SEA Games so far.

Martial arts disciplines being contested at this year's games comprise taekwondo, wushu, judo, muay, boxing, karatedo, wrestling, and pencak silat.

Competing athletes reached a high standard of physical fitness ahead of the games, with many training in camps in neighbouring countries. They also reached higher standards in recent international competitions than in the past.

At the Lao-ITECC indoor stadium on Sunday, the Lao wushu team won two gold medals in the men's and women's doubles in duilian (pair) events.

Soudaphone Chanlapheng, 14, and Ketsuda Vongphakdy, 19, were both gold medalists in the women's duilian event, while Anousone Sasabo, 20, and Bountang Song, 18, won gold in the men's duilian event.

This has been the most successful start ever for the Lao wushu team.

Wushu competitions are taking place at the Lao-ITECC indoor stadium from December 13 to 17.

Taekwondo featured earlier in the games from December 10-12, with the Lao team taking three gold medals.

The Lao team has never won any medals at international level in the dancing style but at this year's games they have the home team advantage and are also much better prepared.

At the 24th SEA Games in Thailand in 2007 they won a gold and two bronze medals in the fighting style.

Tao lu events at the 25th SEA Games include changquan (long fist), nanquan (southern fist), taijiquan (shadow boxing), daoshu (broadsword), jiashu (sword), nandao (southern broadsword), jianjijian (taiji sword), qiangshu (spear), gunshu (cudgel), nangun (south-style cudgel), duilian (pair events) with and without weapons and jiti (group or team events).

Lao gold medallist in the men's 54kg flyweight division Phoutthavong Outhasak found it easy to beat his Cambodian opponent Chhoy Bouthorn 13-1 in the final at Booyong Gymnasium last Saturday.

Phoutthavong beat his Thai opponent Pen-ek Karaket 5-4 before going on to beat the Cambodian fighter.

Phoutthavong had earlier won a silver medal in the men's 58kg division in Thailand 's 24th SEA Games.

Still to come are the boxing, wrestling, muay, and judo events, which will be held at the Lao-Japan Budo Centre from December 15-17.



By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong

The indoor stadium at Lao-ITECC will host the sepak takraw, wushu and pencak silat events during the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane next month.

The stadium comprises two floors on which the SEA Games Organising Committee has modified two rings especially for the wushu and pencak silat events.

Each arena has seating for 400 spectators and offices for event officials.

The sepak takraw and wushu events will take place on the first floor of the stadium, while pencak silat contests will be held on the upper floor which is still undergoing renovations.

SEA Games Construction Project Manager Khiengkham Phouthchanhthavong said 750 million kip was spent on improving the indoor stadium and arenas.

Mr Khiengkham said the three arenas will be of international standard and have excellent facilities for athletes, officials and spectators.

The national pencak silat and wushu teams are currently training at the National Sports Training Centre in Sikeut village, Naxaithong district.

The wushu team won one silver and two bronze medals at the last SEA Games in Thailand in 2007, while the pencak silat team won a bronze medal.

Pencak silat events will consist of weight divisions ranging from 45 to 80kg for males and 45 to 65kg for females. The Lao Pencak Silat Federation has sent the national team to train in Hanoi , Vietnam , until the end of this month.

The 21 male and four female fighters are training in Vietnam under the guidance of Indonesian and Vietnamese trainers.

Eleven male and five female wushu fighters in various weight divisions are currently training at the National Sports Training Centre under the guidance of Mr Cui Jian Gong from China .

The Lao Judo Federation hosted the East Asia Judo Championships at the indoor stadium in August to test judo athletes and event organisers in the lead-up to the games.



By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong

Muay lao bronze medallist in the men's 54kg division at the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand , Somdy Douangmala is training in China for the next three months in the hope of representing Laos in the wushu event at this year's SEA Games.

Somdy hopes to join the national wushu team for the games after missing out on selection for the national muay lao team.

National selectors will use the training camp in China as a basis for choosing the national wushu squad to compete in the games later this year.

National muay lao trainer, Mr Somsa-nga Phimmachan said Somdy did not pass the muay lao selection rounds for this year's games.

Mr Somsa-nga said there are many talented young Lao kick-boxers ready to represent the country at the games.

A determined fighter, Somdy has shown his skill in the Vientiane Muay Lao Competition at the Sokxay and National Circus rings many times.

After representing the Ministry of National Defence at the eighth National Games in Champassak province last December, Somdy trained in wushu at a national camp in Anou village, Chanthabouly district.

Somdy had been training at the National Sports Training Centre in Sikeuth village in Naxaithong district for the last four months before he departed for China last week.

Last week, the muay lao team won a gold, four silver and one bronze medal in the Asian Martial Arts competition in Bangkok in Thailand .

The Muay Lao Federation has many medallists from the national games lined up for the SEA Games.

The organisers of this year's SEA Games say they are expecting nearly 4,250 competitors, including over 1,800 females, from 10 countries.

There will also be over 700 officials in attendance, along with nearly 200 managers and support staff.

The Lao National Sports Committee is still waiting for Timor L'este to confirm how many athletes they will send to compete in the games.

The committee will enter 344 male and 303 female Lao athletes to compete on their home soil.

Thailand will send the largest contingent of athletes with over 540 males and 310 females. The SEA Games will consist of 25 sports - athletics, aquatics (water polo, diving, swimming), archery, badminton, billiard-snooker, boxing, cycling, football, golf, judo, karate-do, sepak takraw, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball and beach volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, wushu, fin swimming, muay, pencak silat, petanque, and shuttle cock.


By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes

Lao-ITECC has become one of the venues to be used for 25th Seagames, the first grandiose regional event ever to take place in Laotian soil, after the 25 Seagames Organising Committee has selected this Shopping Center as one of the main venues to be used for competition of 3 sports such as: Sepak Katraw, Panjak Silat and Wushu (Martial Art) during the 25th Seagame to be held in Laos in December 2009.

Mr. Souliyong Youivanivong, General Manager of the Lao World Co.LTD stated that: ITECC started its construction in 2003 and completed in 2004 with an aim to be used as main venue for hosting the ASEAN-related Meetings in February 2004, 10th ASEAN Summit in Nov 2004 and other international meetings that Laos has gained privilege as a host country. Beside, the trade exhibition has also been held here displaying agricultural, industrial and handicraft products, consumer goods, as well as holding reception, wedding reception. ITECC could accomodate up to 2000 guests. The ITECC also has 32 laned-Bowling Center, 2 Cineplexes and Snooker Courses. Due to is its easy access and convenience, particularly its large parking lot, the ITECC holds trade exhibition 2 times monthly showcasing local product as well as products from neighboring country such as vietnam and Thailand.

During the 25th Seagames, the ITECC has been designates as venue for the competition of the 3 sports mentioned aboved in which the Sepak Takraw and Wushu will take place at its main hall inside ITTECC and Panjak silat will take place at reception hall on second floor. During the end of November ahead of the Games, the Seagame Organising Committee will conduct improvement works such as lighting, audience seats improvement for accommodating 1000 audiences.

In order to contribute to the success in hosting the game, ITECC will charge no rent fee and kindly help pay for electricity, cleaning fee. During the game, ITECC will allow exhibition only on its parking lot in order to let the audiences be able to buy things back home. Moreover, Lao world Company has simultaneouly gained privilege to provide foods including breakfast, lunch and dinner for approximately 3000 to 4000 Laotian and foreign athletes at Athletes Residences located in National University.

Mr. Souliyong has futher stated that: the Subcomittee for Public Security will be responsible for security-related matters during the game and will conduct in-place security commands to ensure 100% of security, same standard that Laos previously provided in hosting international events.

Source: Vientianemai
Translated by: Boy in VT

A bright medal prospect for Laos at the up-coming 25th SEA Games is 20-year-old wushu fighter Khammay.

It will be Khammay's first international event but she is confident of taking home one of the three medals on offer in the women's 53kg category wushu event when the games kick off on December 9.


She has experience in both muay lao and wushu but decided to concentrate on wushu in the hope of increasing her chances of winning a medal at the games.

Khammay has been in training with the national squad at the Sports Training Centre in Sikeuth village, Naxaithong district, for the past three months.

There are currently four female wushu fighters in the national squad, which is training hard for the games.

Khammay won a silver medal in the women's muay lao event at the eighth National Games in Champassak province last December, where she represented the Ministry of National Defence.

After her success the Lao Wushu Federation approached her about joining the national wushu team to prepare for the SEA Games.

Khammay was born and raised in Songkhone district, Savannakhet province, where she graduated from secondary school.

Last year she began muay lao training in Vientiane and competed regularly in muay lao tournaments at the Sokxay ring in Dongpalaeb village, Chanthabouly district.

She said she will continue training in both muay lao and wushu after competing in the games and hopes to take part in many international tournaments in the future.

At the Vientiane Muay Lao Competition at the National Circus ring tonight, Khammay will face Khuanchaysikhot camp's Thinnakone in the women's 53 kg division.

This is the first time the two fighters have met competitively and Khammay is expected to win as her opponent is new to the muay lao discipline.

Khammay twice beat Longsan from Phetphengkhuan camp at the Vientiane Sports Department's ring last year.

In the top bout of the men's 52 kg division, Army camp's Kavy will fight Thomat from Sitlatsamy camp.

Kavy has a background in muay lao, but is currently training with the national wushu squad in the hope of representing Laos at the SEA Games.

Other bouts scheduled for tonight:

30 kg: Athit (Sorthibphakone) vs Koukiet (Khuanchaysikhot).

40 kg: Seua-noy (Sitlatsamy) vs Nindam (IO-din).

62 kg: Phonexay (Khuanchaysikhot) vs Sengphet (Sit-aly).

48 kg: Dou-sith (Phetphengkhuan) vs Manydeng (Loukbandoung).

52 kg: Laembo (Sorsingkham) vs Sayamnoy (Sorthibphakone).

The ST-Group Company Ltd, distributors of the M-150 energy drink, is supporting the friendly competition by providing kick-boxers with cash prizes for participating in the event.

by: Vientianetimes