25th SEA Games, Laos

Despite gaining seven more gold medals yesterday, Laos remains at seventh place in the medal standings while Vietnam and Thailand are in a head to head battle for top honours.

The battle for medals will end this morning, with the afternoon set aside for preparations for the 25th SEA Games closing ceremony at the National Stadium.

The ceremony will begin at 5:10pm with musical entertainment, followed by a programme of performances and displays.

The first gold medals for Laos yesterday came in the morning thanks to experienced boxers in the muay Lao (kick boxing) ring with their haul of three gold medals in wushu sanshou at Lao-ITECC.

Some of the tactics used in muay Lao are very similar to those employed in wushu sanshou, which gave Laos the edge and brought them resounding success on home soil.

To date, the wushu team has taken five gold, two silver and four bronze medals. After the five muay Lao gold medals they earned earlier in the week, the team has become the most successful in Laos at the games.

The first gold of the day for Laos was a victory by Khamla Souphaphone after he easily beat Phan Van Hau of Vietnam in the men's 52kg boxing event. Khamla won the silver medal at the last SEA Games in 2007 in Thailand .

Khamla was the best boxer in the muay Lao ring with 70 fights to his credit. Muay Lao fans know him as Anantaxay Sor-souphaphone.

“This gold medal is a good token for me to welcome in the New Year of 2010 and also a wonderful reward after a long year of hard training,” Khamla said.

“I have to thank all of my supporters around the country, especially the people of my hometown of Nahai village in Hadxaifong district, Vientiane , for cheering me on to victory today.”

More gold medals in wushu followed from 2006 Asian Games silver medallist Phoxay Aphailath in the men's 56kg and Bouapha Valasith in the men's 60kg category.

Other gold medals taken by Lao athletes yesterday included one in the men's under 120kg judo event for Khemkham Kommanivong, one in the boxing ring for Vilasak Khouandy in the men's 64kg light welterweight, one in men's surface fin swimming 200m for Bounthanom Vongphachanh, and another in the men's pencak silat class I under 90kg for Pheumthavy Vongphackdy.



By Sisay Vilaysack

Khamla Xayavong, 21, has become the latest Lao hero after scooping three gold medals in shooting events.

Yesterday Khamla struck gold in the 10m running target mixed event.

She won the event with a score of 358, beating silver medallist Ha Dang Hong of Vietnam, who scored 353 points, while Khamla's team-mate Hongkham Xayalath took the bronze medal with a score of 352.

Khamla also bagged a silver medal in the mixed 10m running target category, scoring a total of 1,040 points.

The gold medal in this event went to Vietnam with 1,043 points, while bronze went to Thailand with 977 points.

“I am very happy and proud to win three gold medals and a silver for the home fans. In the future I will try to improve my shooting skills and hope to be a national shooter forever if the nation needs me,” said an excited Khamla.

Before picking up her third gold medal yesterday, Khamla scored 367.0 to set a new SEA Games record in the women's 10m running target event on Saturday. The previous highest score in this event was 358.0. She collected another gold medal on the same day in the women's 10m running target team event.

Now sports fans around the country are in awe of Khamla because it is the first time in Lao sporting history that one competitor has won more than one gold medal at the SEA Games.

Three gold medals is a wonderful present for Khamla as she approaches her 22nd birthday on December 30.

So far, Lao shooters have amassed three gold, one silver and one bronze medal.

SEA Games Organising Committee Chairman Somsavat Lengsavad said yesterday the games will raise Lao sport to a higher level because of the enthusiasm shown by local people in supporting Lao athletes.

“SEA Games fever has shown that people want to cheer for and support their athletes in popular sports so this leads me to believe Lao sport will improve,” he said.

Mr Somsavat said many foreigners had told him they couldn't believe that Lao people could be so interested in the games. “I don't want to congratulate my own country but many national leaders in this region have congratulated us on our good preparations and infrastructure which has contributed to the success of the games so far.”

He said many delegations had also congratulated him on the standard of the various sports venues including those used for shooting and table tennis, saying they were better than those in other countries in the region.

“They also said we should organise other international sports events in the future.”

Mr Somsavat said he was proud of the way local people welcomed various visitors during the games with warm smiles and hospitality. He also congratulated Lao athletes, saying the SEA Games was an important event in the history of Laos .

“Our athletes have done well, winning many gold, silver and bronze medals even though the games are still not over. Laos has never had such medal success. But this time we are the hosts so our athletes trained hard for this victory.”

Mr Somsavat talked about the Lao footballers, saying they had played very well to be in the semi-finals. In the past, Laos had never reached the semi-finals.

“Today, I can say our footballers have greatly improved because of their dedicated training. They are trying to do their best, especially as we are the hosts of this event.”

He urged people to continue to show their support for Lao athletes until the end of the games, saying cheering was the best source of energy and inspiration as they pursued their medal quest.

“All Lao people should show their support right up until the end of the games. And we should continue to give visitors a warm and polite welcome, as well as taking care of the environment so the country looks its best for all delegations, guests and tourists visiting Laos,” he said.





By Souknilundon Southivongnorath

Vientianetimes

Photo: Khamla Xayavong is delighted with her gold medal and a new SEA Games record.

Khamla Xayavong, 21, made sporting history for Laos after she won a gold medal on Saturday in the women's 10m running target shooting event.

Her gold medal is not only the first ever for Laos in shooting, but her score of 367.0 set a new SEA Games record. The previous highest score in this event was 358.0.

The gold medal is a wonderful present for Khamla as she approaches her 22nd birthday on December 30.

“I am very excited and happy to win this gold medal, which I hoped to win because I trained hard since earlier this year,” Khamla said.

Other records were set at the shooting range on Saturday.

Linn Aung from Myanmar won the men's 50m rifle prone event with 695.40 points (previous SEA Games record 592.0 points). Aung Nyein Ni also from Myanmar took the silver medal in the same event with 694.70 points (previous SEA Games record 592.0 points).

On Fri day, Tanyaporn Prucksakorn won the women's 10m air pistol event with 483.0 points (previous SEA Games record 481.5 points).

In the swimming pool, the Singaporean team set a new record in the women's 100m freestyle with a time of 03:45:73, beating the previous record of 03:51.86 set at the 24th SEA Games in Thailand in 2007.

Cai Lin Khoo of Malaysia won the women's 400m freestyle with a time of 04:10.75. The previous SEA Games record was 04:18.20.

Huu Viet Nguyen of Vietnam took gold in the men's 100m breaststroke with a time of 01:01.60, besting the previous SEA Games record of 01:01.92.

Yi Ting Siow of Malaysia won the women's 100m breaststroke, setting a new record of 01:09.82. The previous SEA Games record was 01:01.15.

Daniel Bego of Malaysia took gold in the men's 100m freestyle with a time of 00:50.16, shaving less than one second off the previous SEA Games record of 00:50.80.

In the men's 100m breaststroke Indra Gunawan of Indonesia took gold with a time of 01:02:59, breaking the previous SEA Games record of 01:02.96.

Other swimming records tumbled on Thursday. In the women's 100m freestyle Ting Wen Quah of Singapore set a time of 00:56.03, beating the previous SEA Games record of 00:56.05).

In the women's 200m individual medley Yi Ting Siow of Malaysia set a record of 02:14.57, breaking the previous SEA Games record of 2:17.17.

In the women's 200m freestyle the Singaporean team won in a time of 08:11.75, significantly cutting down on the time of 8:20.77 set previously.



By Sisay Vilaysack
Vientianetimes

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 Lao national petanque squad will be more confident of winning gold in the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane at the end of this year after testing themselves in events at the national and regional level.

In their first test, six males and 14 females from the national squad will compete in a special event (open doubles) at the 1st Vietnamese Ambassador's Cup at the Vangnampheung petanque field in Sikeuth village in Naxaithong district on August 29-30.

More than 100 players from Vientiane , the provinces, and the national team will play in the Ambassador's Cup to celebrate the 64th anniversary of Vietnamese National Day (September 2, 1945 - 2009).

Lao petanque trainer, Mr Vatsan Phommachan said the national players welcome the opportunity to see and compete against players from other provinces and the Lao Petanque Federation and in return these players are happy to support the national team.

Mr Vatsan said six males and six females will play in a friendly competition in Vietnam on September 8-9 to celebrate Vietnamese National Day.

The national petanque team will continue to train at the standard petanque field at the National University of Laos after returning from Vietnam .

He said the Lao players will be experienced enough before they compete in the petanque events at the games.

The national team will test their technique in the 3rd Prime Minister's Cup in Borikhamxay province at the end of October. The 1st Prime Minister's Cup was held in Vientiane in 2007 and the 2nd Minister's Cup in Attapeu province in 2008.

The most experienced male player at the national and international levels, Mr Phonexay Luangmisy is 24 years old, he comes from Champassak province.

Mr Phonexay is currently preparing at the university's field to compete in the Ambassador's Cup and also the 25th SEA Games. He has been training at the university since April.

He won a gold medal in the men's singles in the eighth National Games in Champassak province last December. He won a gold medal in the men's team at the 23rd SEA Games in the Philippines in 2005 and a bronze medal in the men's doubles in the 24th SEA Games in Thailand in 2007.

He said he would like to compete in the men's doubles event in this year's games and he is hopeful of winning a gold medal at home.

He began playing petanque when he was 14 years old. Currently he is studying economics at Champassak Provincial College .

First and second places in the 1st Ambassador's Cup will receive a trophy and cash prize, while the third place getter will only receive a cash prize.



By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes

Nobody can predict how many gold medals Lao athletes will win at this year's SEA Games on their home soil, but in the minds of supporters seeing Laos finish atop the medal tally would be a dream come true.

Laos has never topped the medal table at a SEA Games. However, Lao athletes have improved dramatically through tough national training camps and several big international contests over the last year.

Despite the improvements, finishing at the top of the medal tally will be a tough ask.

The games are a biennial sports competition for Southeast Asian nations which started in 1959 with the objectives of strengthening friendship, solidarity and understanding between countries in the region. The name of the event was changed from the SEAP Games into the SEA Games in 1977.

Laos did not attend the games from 1975 until 1989 when more than 20 Lao athletes competed in five events and a silver medal was won by the nation in boxing.

Two years later, Lao athletes attended the 16th SEA Games in Manila , the Philippines , but failed to win a medal.

At the 1993 games in Singapore , 41 Lao athletes competed in seven sports events and again a silver medal was won in boxing.

In 1995 the games were held in nearby Chiang Mai , Thailand , and Laos sent 104 athletes to compete in 11 sports events. The Lao team won a silver medal in traditional boat racing, a bronze in boxing and taekwondo and two bronze medals in athletics.

Two years later, Lao athletes flew to Jakarta , Indonesia for the 19th SEA Games where they won bronze medals in wushu, boxing, pancak silat and canoeing.

In Brunei Darussalam in 1999, Laos won its first ever SEA Games gold medal in men's taekwondo and added three bronze medals in boxing, athletics and women's taekwondo.

Lao athletes again won gold at the 21st SEA Games in Malaysia in 2001, this time in petanque, as well as a silver in boxing and bronze medals in wushu, judo and taekwondo.

In 2003 in Vietnam , Laos again won gold in petanque, as well as five silvers in petanque, boxing, shuttlecock and taekwondo. Lao athletes won 15 bronze medals in judo, boxing, shuttlecock, taekwondo, handball, wushu, wrestling, shooting and fin swimming.

In the 2005 SEA Games in the Philippines , Laos ' final tally included 3 gold, 4 silver and 12 bronze medals. Two of the gold medals came from the petanque event, while the third was won in the muay event (kick boxing).

The best ever haul by Lao athletes came at the last SEA Games in 2007 in Thailand . The team took home 5 gold, 7 silver and 32 bronze medals.

By Times Reporters

Back in the Lao history, many Lao athletes had shown their excellent performances in many international events: Ms. Soukpavanh Piathep, the first heroin from Laos won the gold medal from the World Table Tenis Championship in Mexico, Mr. Vongkot Jinda, the Lao boxer who won the bronze medal in Asian Games, Beijing, and other athletes who won many madals in the SEA Games and other international sport events.

Ms. Soukpavan Piathep revealed that in 1976, she was 16, and she was selected to be the representative from Laos to join the Table tennis championship in Mexico. There were 50 countries participated in this event, and she beat the player from Egypt to win the gold medal for Laos for the first time.

After coming back to Laos, she was warmly welcomed from all Lao and was awarded the medal from the late Lao president Soupanouvong.

Soukpavan is now 49, but she looks very healthy, due to her continuous playing sport, especially table tennis. Up to now, no table tennis player from Laos who yet stand out in the international events.

Ms. Soupavan encourages all Lao table tennis players to try their best in practicing, in order to win some medals for Laos during the upcoming 25th SEA Games that will be held in our own soils the end of this year.

Translated from Vientianemai newspaper

The country's most experienced badminton player at the national and international level, Yothin Latsavong, is hopeful of winning a medal in the 25th SEA Games this December.


Source: Vientianetimes

Mr. Olan Sihalat, a Pencak Silat athlete from Laos, the bronze medalist from the 24th SEA Games in Thailand, is ready to fight for gold in the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane, Laos 2009.

Mr. Olan is now at the training center (Sikeut) in preparing for the SEA Games. He mentioned that he is now improving alot in both physical and metal conditions, thanks to all the coaches, friends and family who always support him. "I have to practice harder to complete with the stronger team from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. I will try my best to get gold medal for Laos", said Olan.

Semarang, Central Java (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has set itself the target of grabbing 61 gold medals, 12 silver, and five bronze medals in the upcoming SEA Games to be held in Laos, December 2009.

Ahmad Sutjipto, head of the Prominent Athletes Program (PAL) said here on Tuesday, Indonesia should at least get 56 gold medals to be in the third rank of the SEA Games.

"If we could win 56 gold medals in the multi-event of the Southeast Asian countries, we could secure the third position," he said.

He said Indonesia targeted to be in the position of the big three in the SEA Games. In SEA Games 2007, Indonesia ranked fourth on the list of medal winners after Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Indonesia hoped to win the 18th place in the Asian Games 2010.

First check of SEA Games complex set for April


Photo: The SEA Games main stadium as it looked last month, with construction now about 80 percent complete.

All facilities at the 25th SEA Games sports complex are now more than 80 percent complete, site manager Kiengkham Phoutchanhthavongsa said yesterday.

“We are confident that construction of all venues at the site will be finished by the end of March. We are now putting the finishing touches to the facilities at each venue, installing furniture and building roads around the complex,” he said.

“When construction is finished, there will be three months of checks of the facilities at all venues in the complex to make sure everything is functioning properly. The schedule of tests runs from April to June, after which we will hand over the complex to the Lao SEA Games Organising Committee.”

The 125-hectare sports complex is located in Dongsanghine village, Xaythany district, Vientiane , and houses the main stadium with a seating capacity of 20,000, which will be used for the football and track and field events and for the opening and closing ceremonies.

Other venues at the site comprise two indoor stadiums, each with a seating capacity of 3,000, an indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, and a shooting range.

Construction began on October 28, 2007, under a contract with the China Yunnan Construction Engineering Group Corporation. The cost of construction is more than US$80 million and has been arranged through a joint cooperation project between the Lao government and the China Development Bank.

The upgrading of other facilities, including indoor and football stadiums to be used for competition and training, is also in progress.

Meanwhile, work has finished on a new sports training centre on an 11-hectare site in Sikeud village, Naxaithong district.

The centre cost more than 35 billion kip (US$4 million) to build, financed by grant aid from the government of Vietnam . An opening ceremony will be held on January 18.

The centre comprises an office, sleeping quarters for athletes, a running track and playing field, a football pitch, a gymnasium and other facilities for sporting events. Up to 200 athletes will be able to train there every day.

Construction is also in progress on the athletes' village, which is located on a 42,000sqm site at the Dongdok campus, National University of Laos. It is scheduled for completion in August.

By Sisay Vilaysack

The Lao National Sports Committee (LNSC) has accomplished the goals set for the previous three months of preparation for the 25 th SEA Games to be held in Vientiane next year.

At the Prime Minister's Office on Friday, the national sports committee held a meeting to summarise its work and plan its tasks for September to December.

Standing Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the 25 th SEA Games Organising Committee Somsavat Lengsavad and senior officials attended the meeting.

Mr Somsavat said Laos had been given a great honour in hosting the SEA Games. The event would serve to strengthen the country and boost solidarity.

He suggested the committee should set out clear plans for assistance and cooperation with other countries.

From September to December, the sports committee will cooperate with Singapore to prepare for the event.

The Vietnamese government will assist with the installation of IT systems and electronic equipment in the new football stadium and the indoor stadiums to be used in the games.

The national sports committee will hold a Miss SEA Games beauty pageant and will build a digital clock in Vientiane to mark the countdown to the games. The time will run from December 31 this year until the opening ceremony of the games in December 2009. The clock is to be sponsored by the Lao Brewery Company.

The Thai Tourism and Sports Ministry will spend about 21.3 billion kip (84 million baht) to renovate the national football stadium, tennis courts and the sports department's indoor stadium.

The ministry will also pay about 1.5 billion kip (6 million baht) towards the training of LNSC officials, as well as referees and athletes.

The committee will also receive assistance through cooperation with doping control staff from Vietnam and Thailand .

At the end of this year, the committee will open the sports training centre and athletes' accommodation in Vientiane , to be built with assistance from the Vietnamese government.

The Lao football, judo, karatedo, wushu, wrestling, pencak silat, swimming and diving teams are currently training in Vietnam .

Also in the past three months, committee officials improved their skills at the Lao-Singapore Cooperation Centre in June and planted 500 trees around the new football stadium.

In May, the committee held discussions on work plans for the games including accommodation, food, decoration of the city, tourism, traffic, telecommunications and other work.

The committee asked the Olympic Committee of Asia and the competition organising committee of the SEA Games to assist in running the games.

Athletes' accommodation is under construction at the National University of Laos, assisted by the Vietnamese government.

Last July, the committee visited Incheon district in the Republic of Korea , where district officials provided them with sports equipment worth more than 3.5 billion kip (US$405,000).

When Lao government officials attended the Olympic Games in China last month, they signed an agreement for SEA Games cooperation with the Chinese government in Beijing . The Lao wushu and shuttlecock teams will attend training in China ahead of the games.

Singapore helped with tourism promotion for the games last month. This month it will work on business communication for the games and next month plans to assist with hospitality management.

The new football stadium where the opening and closing ceremonies of the games will take place is 65-80 percent complete, the indoor stadium is 90 percent complete, the petanque field is 80 percent complete and the taekwondo court is 95 percent complete.

The new football stadium where the opening and closing ceremonies of the games will take place is 65-80 percent complete, the indoor stadium is 90 percent complete, the petanque field is 80 percent complete and the taekwondo court is 95 percent complete

The Lao national judo team will be able to maintain its third position in the upcoming Southeast Asian Games to be held Vientiane at the end of next year, according to the Lao Judo Federation President.


Speaking a press conference yesterday, Mr Khemsath Philaphandeth said the judo team won third place at the last SEA Games in Thailand , and he would do his best to ensure the team secured the same position in the Vientiane event in 2009.

The Lao judo team won two gold medals in those games.

Mr Khemsath said the federation would hold the first all Lao judo championships in Vientiane on July 26 and 27. The best Lao judo competitors will be selected at this event to compete in the 2009 SEA Games.

The event will be held at the Phonesavanh School , Dongdok village, Xaythany district, Vientiane .

Mr Khemsath said the federation would invite competitors from the provinces of Khammuan, Savannakhet and Vientiane . About 80 competitors are expected to take part .

The 12 best judo competitors will train in Vietnam for three months to prepare for the SEA Games. The federation has already sent three competitors to train in Mongolia for this purpose.

Mr Khemsath said the first all Lao judo championship aimed to promote the sport among Lao people and to raise judo to an international standard in Laos .

He said the federation would spend about US$15,000 to host the championship. The main sponsors of the event are the KP Company and Lao Toyota Company.

The federation will host a similar competition next year, one month before the official opening ceremony of the SEA Games in Vientiane . The competition will be a trial for competitors and venues, to ensure readiness for the games.

He said Laos had sent three Lao judo trainers to Nepal to attend an international federation referee examination, so they can perform these duties at the games.

Mr Khemsath said the Lao judo team had made satisfactory achievements over the past years with six bronze medals in the Southeast Asia Championships in Vietnam this year. The Lao judo team also won a bronze medal at an international tournament in Vietnam .

By Vientiane Times

Korean consultant to the Lao Badminton Federation, Mr Jae Jin Kim, will help the national badminton team's quest for a medal at the 25 th SEA Games in Vientiane in 2009.

Secretary General of the Lao Badminton Federation Bounleua Sinxayvoravong signed an agreement with the Chief Executive Officer of InnoMax Corporation from the Republic of Korea , Mr Jae Jin Kim, at the Lao National Sports Committee's office on Tuesday.

Mr Jae has pledged more than 200 million kip (US$25,000) to the Lao badminton team, to enable them to travel to the Republic of Korea for training in May. Accompanying the team will be a number of Lao Badminton Federation officials, who will gain valuable experience in competition organisation and management from their Korean counterparts.

At present a Malaysian badminton coach is training the Lao team in preparation for the Vientiane Badminton Open to be held at the National University of Laos in April.

“We have invited badminton teams from many countries to attend the Badminton Open, including teams from South East Asia, the Pacific and Europe ,” said the Assistant to the President of the federation, Mr Somsaveng Sengsylavong.

“However, the arena lacks special impact-absorbing flooring as we have a limited budget for the event,” he said.

Source: vientianetimes