25th SEA Games, Laos

Photo: Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Professor Dr Bosengkham Vongdara, who is Honorary President of the newly reformed committee of the Lao Cycling Federation ( fourth right ), takes part in the start of the public cycling race in Vientiane yesterday morning. --Photo Sangkhomsay

The Lao Cycling Federation (LCF) is hopeful of winning gold medals at the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane next year after launching a new committee on Sunday.

Vice Minister of Information and Culture and LCF Honorary President Prof. Dr Bosengkham Vongdala, LCF President Vilaysouk Phimmasone and senior ministry officials attended a ceremony to launch the federation's new committee on Sunday in Vientiane.

Dr Bosengkham and senior officials participated in a mountain bike caravan procession along Fa-ngum Road as part of the event.

Mr Vilaysouk said the federation hoped to upgrade Lao cyclists' skills with the aim of achieving success at the SEA Games.

He said the federation was planning to organise an inaugural national cycling competition, a promotional bicycle caravan and an international cycling race in the lead-up to the games.

The federation's organising committee has sent cyclists to participate in the eighth National Games to be held in Champassak province in December.

The federation will organise a road race in January to select cyclists to join the national squad.

Mr Vilaysouk said the LCF was planning to send the national team to compete in at least two international races next year.

On Sunday, the federation organised a 6km road race along Fa-ngum Road involving more than 150 cyclists from Laos and neighbouring countries.

The race was held across various categories for competitors aged eight to over 50. Winners received trophies and cash prizes from the federation.

The event was supported by the federation and Lao Star Television Channel.

By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong

Patuxay clock will count down to SEA Games


Photo: Victory gate or Patouxay in the heart of Vientiane, Laos

A clock will be installed at the Patuxay Monument in Vientiane on New Year's Eve to start the countdown to the SEA Games in December next year.

Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Bouangeun Saphouvong said the installation of the clock would be a spectacular event and would also include the official presentation of 100 Miss SEA Games representatives to the public.

“We have already set up a committee to organise the event. The start of the countdown will be one of the biggest events ever staged at Patuxay,” he said.

Several songs composed especially for the SEA Games will also be introduced to the public for the first time on New Year's Eve.

Mr Bouangeun said popular older and younger singers would be invited to take part in the celebrations.

Members of the public and VIP guests can reserve tables at the event, which will feature a variety of entertainment shows and activities. Mascots and SEA Games souvenirs will be on sale during the evening.

More than 180 women applied to be Miss SEA Games, and the committee has chosen 100 of them to participate in the games next year. They will be trained how to interact with and greet guests politely, walk elegantly, speak English, and acquire general knowledge in preparation for the event.

Eleven country placard bearers will be selected from the 100 representatives to take part in the stadium parade that precedes the games.

After the countdown clock is installed, fireworks will light up the sky to mark the occasion and bring in the New Year.

By Phonesavanh Sangsomboun
Vientianetimes

JAKARTA: Four countries are urging host Laos to add several sports to the 25th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which are scheduled to be held from Dec. 13 to 21 next year, according to Indonesia's sports chief.

Rita Subowo, chairwoman of the National Sports Council (KONI), said Friday that Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand had met with representative from Laos to discuss the possibility including sports such as basketball, archery, canoeing, weightlifting and cycling.

"However, Laos indicated it would not host those sports events due to lack of facilities and funds," Rita said.

"Those sports would give Indonesia good medal chances," she said.

Laos plans to stage 25 sports, much fewer than the 43 at the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand.

Rita said the four countries would further discuss the issue in November in the hope of convincing Laos to add those sports. (ewd)

http://thejakartapost.com

Photo: Plastic seats in the stadium of thailand

(KPL) The Saplast Vientiane Company, Vietnamese investor has hoped to produce plastic seats for equipping with in the new stadium for the host of 25th SEA Games.
According to Mr Huynhtan Phuoc, Director of Saplast Vientiane Company disclosed last week that our company sent a selling proposal of plastic seats and bins with a reasonable price to the Lao government.

He said that this proposal is a part of efforts to promote the domestic goods and also able to decrease the volume of imported goods especially plastic tools. One more reason if the Lao government adopted our proposal, the foreign currency would not flow out the country.

This company is currently the leading supplier plastic tools to local market, he said. All our products are high quality and international standard.
The company was established in Laos, January 2005 under bilateral cooperation between Vietnamese and Lao governments, with registered investment was around US$ 1.3 million.

POC lobbies for more SEAG events
By NICK GIONGCO



The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is pushing for the inclusion of basketball and a few other sports in the 2009 Southeast Asian Games in Laos.


POC president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco Jr. is currently in Vientiane, Laos to lobby for sports where the Philippines is considered strong, according to POC spokesman Joey Romasanta.

Cojuangco is accompanied by secretary-general Steve Hontiveros, treasurer Julian Camacho, legal counsel Ding Tanjuatco and athletics chief Go Teng Kok, designated as head of the sports and rules committee for the Laos Games. Also with the group is Dr. Martin Camara, head of the medical committee.

Aside from basketball, the POC is eyeing the inclusion of billiards, fencing, cycling, dancesport and chess.

The 25th SEA Games is slated Dec. 13-21 next year with only 22 sports on tap.

Owing to the lack of facilities in Laos, a landlocked country in Indo-China bordered by Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma and China, the host said they could only organize a limited number of sports.

Forty-three events were staged last year in Thailand, nearly the same number held in Manila in 2005.

"Some of our neighbors in the SEAG are going to help us in our bid to have basketball in 2009," said a member of the POC party to Laos yesterday in an overseas call.

"We told them that when the Philippines hosted the SEAG in 2005, basketball was not played owing to the suspension (by the FIBA)."

The Philippines retained the basketball crown, but finished sixth overall last year in Thailand.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/SPRT20080424122709.html