25th SEA Games, Laos

The rehearsal of "Golden Rice Field", a part of performances prepared for the Openning and Closing Ceremony of the 25th Seagame to be held in Vientiane, capital of Laos in late 2009, is being continuously rehearsed at Nongbon High School and 65% ready.

Mr. Phoumy Phomkeona, Head of Nongbon High School, concurrently the director responsible for 'Golden Rice Field' and "Keua Kao Gad" performances which will be used at Opening and Closing Ceremony of 25 Sea Games had confirmed in an interview that the "Golden Rice Field" performance is being continuously rehearsed already 6 weeks at the front playing ground of Nong bon high school, with 410 students, 10 reserves, as well as 20 leading performers from Central Artists Troupe are in participation. With respect the Keua Kao Gad performance, the rehearsal will start soon. During October to November, the two performances will participate in grand rehearsal at National Stadium at Km 16, Saythani District.

Mr. Phoumy had further stated that: the rehearsals faced difficulties during initial period such as: shortage of vehicle accommodating students, performers. Therefore, the participating students mostly have no rider license and sent to school by their parents with most of students were ontime, but few students were late.

The rehearsal is being conducted every saturday from 8 am in morning session and 1pm-6pm for afternoon session during the initial period. For the grand rehearsal period, the Sea Games Organising Committee will provide vehicles for picking up and sending students to their home to ensure smooth rehearsals and to assure best and brilliant performance for the Opening and Closing Ceremony of the 25 Seagame.

Source: vientianemai
translated by VTE boy

Official food supplier to the athletes' village, Lao World Company, is seeking some of 60 to 80 chefs to cook up a storm at the SEA Games in December.

Managing Director of Lao World Company Mr Soulignong Nhouyvanisvong said the company may have to search for chefs both in Vientiane and the provinces to meet the need.

“Lunch and dinner will be the big meals so we need more chefs to cook food as fast as possible so we can serve hot food on time,” he said.

The company is to spend 7 billion kip as the official supplier of food for the SEA Games.

The money will be used to buy cooking equipment, cutlery, crockery and food to serve between 3,000 and 4,000 athletes a day.

He promised Laos would be the primary source of ingredients, under the government's policy to encourage local productivity.

Lao World Company will sub-contract certain aspects of the job to CP Company, Vientiane State Foodstuff Enterprise and the Organic Vegetable Group, which fall under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

“For fish, beef, pork, rice and vegetables, we will buy everything in Laos ,” he said.

“I have talked with those who will be our sub-contractors and they have said they were capable of supplying us with these products.”

“But for fruits, we might have to import some from neighbouring countries to meet the demand,” Mr Soulignong said. An average of 4,000 kg of beef, fish and pork are expected to be used in daily meal preparation.

While the food will be served at the athletes' village in Dongdok, athletes could also pack food to eat in other places.

For vegetarians, food will be served separately in another room.

A western breakfast will be served during the event. There will be a choice of 6 or 7 offerings per day.

Four meals will be served daily during the games, but the restaurant will stay open all day.

Peak demand is expected to come immediately before and after the opening ceremonies.

Demand is expected to taper off as some athletes return home after concluding their events.

Lao World Company said it had experience in organising catering for events of more than 2,000 people.

Mr Soulignong said with this experience, the company did not foresee any problem in supplying Lao-grown and produced food during the games.

“The headquarters of our parent company is in Thailand , and exports food products to many countries,” Mr Soulignong said.

“If we want our parent company to supply us with the food it will be easy. But we don't want to do that as we want to use home-grown produce.”


By Somsack Pongkhao
Vientianetimes

Lao football federation invited the Chonburi club FC and TTM Samut Songkhram of Thailand and Hoang An Gia Lai club from Vietnam to join the warm up match of football championship in preparation for the 25th SEA Games at the end of this year.

Nivat Kaisang, Manager of Lao National Football Team, revealed that the football championship of four teams from three countries will be kicked off from 17-20 September 2009, in which Laos will use the national team that will participate in SEA Games, and famous football clubs from Thailand and Vietnam will be invited to join. The game will be held at the newly built stadium in Champasak province, southern part of Laos.

The objective of the competition is to warm up Lao national team in preparation for the 25th SEA Games, and to build up good relationship between the clubs in Thailand and Vietnam. In the near future, Laos also plan to organize similar football championshiop by inviting thai national team for SEA Games to join the match on October this year.

(KPL) The attempt by Laos to recruit Anne Keothavong, a top notch British tennis player of Lao descent to play for Laos at the 25th SEA Games is not true and it is based on rumor.

This “rumour” was published in the local newspapers and websites.

Mr Daovone Phachanthavong, Vice President of the Lao National Tennis Association confirmed yesterday that Laos would not recruit anyone who holds a foreign passport to play tennis for Laos in the coming SEA Games.“If Anne Keothavong is a Lao national she could join the SEA Games tennis squad but as she is a British national, it is impossible for her to play for Lao” said Mr Daovon Phachanthavong. Anne was born on 16 September 1983, in Hackney, located in the north of London.

Her parents are Lao and they migrated to England from Laos some time back.
She started to play tennis from the age of seven.

The athletes' accommodation for 25th SEA Games located at the compound of the national university of Laos is now 90% completed.
Mr. Kienkham Phutthachanthavong, director of the construction of athletes's dormintory reported that the construction has been conducted since January 2009 by the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Construction Company of Vietnam. The company loaned US$15 million to Lao government for constructing dormitory. This is interest-free loan for three years.
The dormitory is built on 42,000 square metres which consists of 1,000 rooms, a conference room, an information centre and others facility room. The building capacity enables to accommodate 4,000 athletes.
The construction is now 90% completed and the company is now working on the inside decoration, electrical systems installation, and gardening. The work is expected to be finished by the end of June this year.

Source: Vientianemai

The contest to select songs to be used for the 25th SEA Games came to an end last week. As the result, 15 songs were selected from the total of 30, to be included in the 25th SEA Games's album 2009. The songs were composed by famous Lao composers both old and new. This contest was sponsored by Toyota Thani Group, Daoheuang Group and Lao telecommunication.

Check out the video clip to know more about this contest.
Sorry it is in Lao language only !!!

The Lao National Sports Committee (LNSC) has invited medallists from sports at the eighth National Games in Champassak province last December to join national teams for the upcoming SEA Games.

The national games were used to select the best athletes to prepare for the 25th SEA Games to be held in Vientiane from December 9-18.

Teams have been training at the National Sports Training Centre and in neighbouring countries in preparation for the games.

The national games yielded 234 gold, 233 silver and 351 bronze medallists from Vientiane , 16 provinces and 10 ministries.

The LNSC did not select unsuccessful athletes or those with a record of bad behaviour or disrespect for the rules of sporting committees and federations.

Ms Nouny Soukpaseuth won a gold medal in the women's 4x400m, silver in the women's 3,000 metre and a bronze in the 1,500 metre in the track and field events at the national games where she represented Champassak province.

After her success she began training for both the track and field and cycling events for the SEA Games.

However, she has been ruled out of selection for the games. The Lao Amateur Athletics Federation's secretary general, Ms Phouxay Phengphong, said Ms Nouny was not selected for the national squad due to disrespect of the federation's rules.

Ms Nouny's younger sister, Ms Phonesanith, won a gold in the 25km and a silver in the 70km, as well as two bronze medals in team 30km and 70km cycling events at the national games.

Neither of the two sisters has been selected for the national cycling team to compete at the SEA Games.

The federation has selected a squad of 41 athletes, including substitutes, for the track and field events.

The LNSC has set a deadline of next month for all 11 countries competing in the games to submit a listing of their national squads.

The SEA Games will comprise athletics, swimming, diving, water polo, archery, badminton, billiards and snooker, boxing, cycling, football, golf, judo, karatedo, sepak takraw, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball and beach volleyball, weight lifting, wrestling, wushu, muay, pencak silat, petanque, fin swimming and shuttlecock.

The eighth National Games consisted of track and field, swimming, volleyball, basketball, football, table tennis, badminton, tennis, sepak takraw, petanque, bowling, golf, snooker, shooting, top spinning, crossbow, sport boat racing, muay lao, boxing, pencak silat, taekwondo, judo, karatedo and cycling.

By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes

Lao pencak silat team will test their skills against Vietnamese opponents when they train in Hanoi , Vietnam , from June to November.

The training camp in Vientiane will be the site of a selection process by Vietnamese coach Nguyen Huy Dong and trainer Thongkhoun Khamsysavathdy, who will choose an 11 member squad to compete in the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane in December.

The team will have the opportunity to compete in the 3rd Asian Indoor Games in Hanoi in August.

The training camp and match experience in Vietnam will assist the Lao athletes in their preparations for the SEA Games.

Vice President of the Lao Pencak Silat Federation, Mr Khamphoui Bounyalith, said the team is ready to continue their training in Hanoi after training at the National Sports Training Centre in Sikeuth village, Naxaithong district, since April.

Mr Khamphoui said the squad are all committed to training hard and improving in the hope of winning medals when their home nation hosts the games.

The Lao National Sports Committee is financing the Lao team's travel to the training camp in Vietnam , while the Vietnamese government is providing in-camp support for the squad.

Mr Nguyen arrived in Vientiane last February and has been coaching the national team ever since, initially at the national camp and then the national training centre.

Mr Nguyen led the Vietnamese team to success in the 20th SEA Games in Brunei in 1999, 21st SEA Games in Malaysia in 2001 and the 22nd SEA Games in Vietnam in 2003, as well as other international tournaments.

The Lao team was coached by an Indonesian trainer for the last SEA Games in Thailand where they won a bronze medal.

A bronze medallist in the men's 60kg category of the pencak silat at those games, Mr Olane Sihalath, is hopeful of winning a medal at this year's games.

Pencak silat events at the games will comprise tanding (fighting style) in the men's 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75 and over 80kg categories and women's 50, 55, 60 and 65kg categories. There will also be contests in seni (dancing style), tunggan (singles) and ganda (doubles) for men and women with no weight divisions.

The Lao team took bronze at the 18th SEA Games in Thailand in 1995 and at the 19th SEA Games in Indonesia in 1997.

By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes

(KPL) The Lao cultural performance programme will be a pillar of the inauguration ceremony to kick-start the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane from 9 to 18 December this year and it is an opportunity for Lao to showcase her culture to an international audience.

However, there will also be another cultural performance and it will be held during the closing ceremony of the sporting event.

Deputy Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Bouangueng Saphouvong, who is in charge of the arts performances for the for official opening and closing ceremonies of 25th SEA Games, said that rehearsals are being held and commenced in June.

He continued, ?The main programme of the art performances will focus on Lao culture and for the opening and closing performances the total number of performers is 8,000.

(KPL) Laos is planning to recruit Anne Keothavong, a Lao-British tennis player, whose ranking is the top of the pole in England and ranked 48th in the world to play for Lao during the coming 25th SEA Games, but the Lao National Sports Committee is mulling over the problem of transferring her nationality so that her legal status is Lao.

Laos is already in touch with Anne and has already invited her to join the Lao women?s tennis team but she has not revealed any information on the offer to the press.
Anne was born on 16 September 1983, in Hackney, located in the north of London.

Her parents are Lao and they migrated to England from Laos some time back.
She started to play tennis from the age of seven.

Vientiane authorities are readying accommodation, food and tourism services for guests and athletes visiting Laos for the 25th SEA Games in December.

The capital will provide accommodation for about 4,000 athletes, and is making sure international-standard hotels and top end guesthouses are ready for visitors.

The Vientiane Tourism Department held a meeting at the National Culture Hall on Friday to discuss the preparations, as well as public security and public health.

The meeting was attended by Vice Vientiane Mayor and Vice President of the Lao SEA Games Organising Committee (LAOSOC), Mr Somvandy Nathavong, LAOSOC officials and staff from the department, hotels and guesthouses.

Mr Somvandy asked businesses to help in providing accommodation, food and tourism service during the games, which he said was a historical event for Laos .

He said Laos was satisfied its political stability would enable sound public security.

The Tourism Department has asked for more than 2 billion kip to redecorate and clean accommodations and provide food and tourism services.

Officials will check 12 hotels to make sure their standards are adequate. Hotels in five districts are still under construction but will be finished before the games. Officials will also inspect athletes' accommodation at the National University of Laos.

They will hold a meeting for businesses to respond to the call to support the SEA Games' effort and will continue checks of hotels and guesthouses for VIP guests, to be conducted by the Lao National Sports Committee and sports federation officials.

The Tourism Department will publish a Vientiane Tourism Guide Book and will hold two training courses for management staff in hotels, guesthouses and restaurants.

Hotels, guesthouses and restaurants in Vientiane will all be spruced up, with staff to wear traditional costumes to welcome guests and put Lao culture on display.

All sports venues, hotels, guesthouses, tourist facilities and other places will be tightly secured.

Public health officials will promote the need for cleanliness and hygiene and check the food provided by hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and markets in Vientiane for athletes and visitors.

Mr Somvandy said the games offered a good opportunity to develop human resources and businesses and for the Lao people to receive foreign guests.

He was confident the services offered would be up to international standards.

He advised business operators to take advantage of the event by putting up the price of rooms in hotels and guesthouses and raising meal prices.

The games represented the work of the Lao people and they should unite in hosting the event, he said.

The health unit would award certificates to restaurants if it could be determined they cooked clean food. Public health officials said they lacked money to buy some of the equipment they needed to carry out their work.

By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes

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

Water Polo Federation referees and members inspected the competition site last week at Km 16 in Xaythany district.

The pool is completed and the site is ready to go.

Lao Swimming Federation President Soutthanome Inthavong said the Singaporean federation would provide some of the budget for the organisation of water polo events including improving the skills of volunteers and referees.

Philippines CAASF TWPC member Mr Luisito Mangahis, VP Water Polo SSA (AASF TWPC member) Mr Tan Hong Teck and FINA-listed referee Mr Nicholas Tan held a training course for 30 Lao volunteers from the Lao Swimming Federation and Kavin College from May 29-30.

The three experts taught the rules and techniques employed in the sport. It is hoped the volunteers will be able to help run the water polo event after completing the training course.

The Lao Swimming Federation said it was unable to prepare a team to compete in the event because water polo was too new a sport for the Lao people.

Laos has never competed in water polo in the SEA Games or at any other international forum.

One team consists of seven players, including a goal keeper. As in football, the goal is to get the ball into the opponent's net.

With legs and feet busy keeping players afloat, it is up to the hands and arms to guide the ball towards its destination, or block opposition attack.

Mr Tan said his organisation was ready to support Lao water polo players if the Swimming Federation were able to organise a team for the SEA Games.

By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes

The Lao Brewery Company, producer of Beerlao, is the main sponsor for the 25th SEA Games in Laos. announced the four major sports it intends to sponsor at the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane this December.

It will support the four sports in which it feels Laos has the best medal hopes: football, muay lao, pétanque and taekwondo

The company has contributed almost 20 billion kip towards games preparation, and they believe these funds will inspire all Lao people around the country to be of one heart, united in cheering on our athletes to glory at the games.

You are all invited to join and witness the selection of songs to be used for 25th SEA Games at Pakpasak Technical School in Vientiane on 29th May 2009, start from 19:30 onwards.

All the songs were composed by many famous Lao composors, and will be used for the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane, Laos. This event is sponsored by Toyota Thani Group, Daoheuang Group and Lao telecommunication. Entrance is free and everyone is welcome !

(KPL) More than Ninety per cent of the construction of the stadium to be used to inaugurate the 25th SEA Games has been completed.

The report on its progress was made during a meeting of organizing committees for 25th SEA Games in the Prime Minister?s Office and under the chairmanship of Standing Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad, on 23 May.

Another report announced during this meeting was the completion of a road that ran around the stadium but another road, scheduled to be completed by next month, would run around the campus of the local university.

The two stretches of road cost 684 million kip and 8 billion kip respectively.
In addition, road works in other locations are being carried out but they are expected to be completed before the commencement of the 25th SEA Games in December.
The new stadium, designed to accommodate 20,000 people, is now being fitted with decorations and its completion date could be as soon as September.

Other stadiums that will be used for sporting events for the coming 25th SEA Games will be equipped with new sports equipment and they will undergo tests next month.

Brunei 's government has granted US$1.7 million to the Lao National Sports Committee (LNSC) to build a new sport complex in Vientiane for the 25th SEA Games to be held from December 9-18.

LNSC President Dr Phouthong Seng-akhom reported developments at a meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office on Saturday.

The Brunei Embassy to Laos has come to an agreement with the Lao SEA Games Organising Committee (LAOSOC) to build a new sport complex.

Currently the LNSC is looking for a suitable area to build the complex. It is believed to be looking at options in Sikeuth village, Naxaithong district.

Also discussed were other pre-games construction and upgrade projects including those for the indoor stadium, national football stadium and golf course.

Athletes' preparation, transportation and other necessary activities for the SEA Games also made the agenda.

Dr Phouthong said the Thai government will support weightlifting, cycling and archery events at the games.

Vientiane Mayor Sombat Yialiher was appointed Vice President of LAOSOC, while Deputy Vientiane Mayor Bounchan Singthavong was also formally welcomed to the committee as a member.

These developments came following agreements between Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh and Standing Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of LAOSOC Somsavat Lengsavad.

Mr Somsavat requested public security officials, Vientiane authorities and LAOSOC to remain aware and to keep safety and security concerns uppermost in their minds as the event drew near.

Other challenges remain regarding venue location.

The LNSC is seeking to rent facilities at Don Chan Palace to hold the billiards and snooker events, but baulking at the US$2,000 per day price tag.

Meanwhile, Cosmo hotel in Vientiane is offering facilities for between 20 and 30 million kip per day.

LAOSOC will check electricity and water systems at the athletes' dormitory at the National University of Laos after finishing construction in July.

This month, the LNSC sent judo and wrestling teams and trainers to Mongolia ; and is training athletes and officials in shuttlecock, karatedo, shooting and fin swimming. The men's football teams are training in Vietnam .

Mr Somsavat suggested the LNSC assist in monitoring and assisting athletes during training at camps in Laos and other countries.

The Lao government has 94 billion kip allocated for event, of which it has used more than 13 billion kip so far.

The LNSC technical committee will buy electrical equipment to be installed in each stadium.

Vientiane authorities will use 7.2 billion kip to decorate the city ahead of the games.

The capital will provide food for athletics teams from 11 countries while they are staying in the athletes' dormitory.

The Budo Centre and the indoor stadium in Beungkhayong village will be built and ready for use in October.

The Budo centre will host martial arts of Japanese origin (judo and karatedo) while the stadium will be used for the muay (kickboxing) events.

By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes

Two professional volleyball coaches from China are helping the Lao men's and women's volleyball and beach volleyball teams to prepare for the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane in December.

The coaches, Mr Yin Ming and Mrs Qin Wensui, are former Chinese national volleyball representatives and have both coached popular clubs in China .

Mr Yin, who works for the Beijing City Sports Office, arrived in Vientiane last week and will train the men's and women's volleyball teams.

Mrs Qin comes from the Beijing City Club and arrived in Vientiane last month to train the men's and women's beach volleyball teams.

Secretary of the Lao Volleyball Federation, Mr Sychan Chitpanya, said the federation received assistant from the Chinese government to support the teams in their preparation for the games.

The coaches will lead the teams until after the games. This is the first time the Lao national teams have been trained by a foreign coach.

The teams will find it challenging to win a medal at the games as they lack experience at the international level and have not had a regular training programme in the past. Mrs Qin is currently training the men's and women's beach volleyball teams at the Sports Training Centre in Sikeuth district.

The volleyball teams have been training at the Nongtha village indoor courts in Chanthabouly district since March.

When the indoor stadium at Dongsanghin village in Xaythany district (Km16) is finished in October the volleyball teams will begin training there.

There are presently 15 men and 15 women players training with the squad, but the federation will select two final squads of 12 players each to compete at the games.

The teams will travel to Vietnam and Thailand for training in July and August, when they will also compete in friendly matches against those countries.

At a friendly tournament in Phnom Penh , Cambodia , last week, the women's beach volleyball team was defeated 2-0 in each of their matches against Cambodia and Vietnam .

Players in all the squads come from the Vientiane , Xieng Khuang, Borikhamxay, Savannakhet and Champassak provincial teams as well as the Ministry of National Defence team. They were selected after the eighth National Games held in Champassak province last December.


By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes

(KPL) Up to date, the construction of the SEA Games Stadium, located at Km16 in Saythany district , an important facility to be used for the opening and closing ceremonies of this regional sporting event, has achieved 90 per cent completion and this was said by the Head of SEA Game?s Stadium Construction Project, Mr Khiengkham Phoutchanthavongsa on 14 May.

Minister to Prime Minister?s Office, President of National Sports Committee and Vice President of SEA Game?s Organising Committee, Dr Phouthong Seng-Akhom who visited the SEA Games 2009 Stadium said that the rest of the work are the entire decoration of the stadium, electrical installation and the laying of carpet grass.

Dr Phouthong said, ?Some people don?t understand the entire process and mistakenly believe the construction will not be completed before the games, but since 90 per cent of it has been completed so that the handover date can be as early as September.

Other indoor and outdoor courts, located in Chao-Anouvong stadium in Anou village, Chanthaboury district, International Trade Exhibition and Convention Centre, Beungkhayong stadium and National University of Laos are all at the stage of near completion.

Minister to the Prime Minister's Office and President of the Lao National Sports Committee (LNSC), Dr Phouthong Seng Akhom, spoke to media yesterday in Vientiane about the opportunities available to Laos when it hosts the 25th SEA Games later this year.

The event is an opportunity for Laos , as the host nation, to increase solidarity and friendship amongst Southeast Asian nations, he said.

“Of course we'd like to get many medals like previous hosts of the games have, but our main target is to boost relations and solidarity between the countries involved and Laos .”

At many of the previous games the host nation has topped the medal tally. Laos will do its best to continue this trend but a big medal haul is not the only measurement of success.

“Lao athletes are still amateurs, not professionals like most in the region. Most of our athletes are students or government officials who love to play sport. At these games we hope to gain experience from other athletes visiting our country,” Dr Phouthong said. He said hosting the games was important for political matters, foreign affairs issues and socio-economic and cultural development as well as national security and promoting a peaceful society.

The 25th SEA Games will take place from December 9 to 18 in Vientiane, involving 390 events in 25 sports including athletics, swimming, archery, badminton, snooker and billiards, muay, cycling, football, golf, judo, karatedo, sepak takraw, shooting, tennis, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, wrestling, weightlifting, boxing, pencak silat, petanque, fin swimming, diving and shuttlecock.

LNSC reported logistical preparations for the games have begun in addition to infrastructure construction.

Committees have been formed to oversee hospitality, transportation, travel arrangements and security during the games. They include representatives from the ministries of Public Works and Transport, Health, Public Security, and Information and Culture, the Lao National Tourism Administration and other organisations.

“We have received reports from each committee regarding their preparation efforts and some areas are close to completion while others need further work,” Dr Phouthong said.

LNSC reported on the construction of five stadiums to be used for the games, including progress on the main 20,000-seat stadium in Dongsanghin village, Xaythany district, which will be used for the opening and closing ceremonies.

“Some people don't understand the entire process and mistakenly believe construction will not be completed before the games, but it is actually already 90 percent complete and facilities will be handed over to the relevant committees in September,” Dr Phouthong said. Other indoor and outdoor courts at Chao-anouvong stadium in Anou village, Chanthabouly district, the International Trade Exhibition and Convention Centre, Beungkhayong stadium and facilities at the National University of Laos are also close to completion and are waiting to be fitted out with sports equipment.

By Souknilundon Southivongnorath
Vientianetimes