25th SEA Games, Laos

(KPL) The 25th SEA Games Committee for Accommodation, Food, Decoration and tourism is in need of financial support to cater to the domestic and foreign visitors as well as athletes, and they would boost the local economy by spending as much as four billion kip.

Deputy Mayor of Vientiane, Somvandy Nathavong, who is in charge of this committee, revealed that regarding the hosting of this sporting event here, the Lao government is making an effort to strengthen the solidarity, culture, economy and friendship among the participating countries.

He said this when he to the Vientiane executive broad on 24 April on the progress of the preparation for the upcoming 25th SEA Games, to be held in Vientiane at the end of this year.

He said that the cost of the preparatory work for his committee is 4.8 billion kip.
At the present, 70 hotels in five districts in Vientaine Capital are considered fit to accommodate the visitors and athletes, he said to the executive board.

A football stadium in Vientiane to be used for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 25th SEA Games will be finished by March next year, according to officials.

The stadium is currently 70 percent complete. The Chairman of the 25th SEA Games Organising Committee is Standing Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad. Mr Somsavat, ministry officials and senior officials from the Lao National Sports Committee (LNSC) surveyed progress on construction of the site in Vientiane yesterday. Mr Somsavat said construction was on schedule and officials were pleased the facilities would be ready in time for the games.

The football stadium must be finished by July next year, under an agreement signed by the LNSC and construction companies. The Industrial Park Overseas Investment Co Ltd, China Yunnan Construction Engineering Group Corporation and China Development Bank are undertaking construction of the sporting facilities.

Mr Somsavat said the football stadium was an indication of the cooperation relationship between Laos and China and he believed athletes from other countries would be impressed by the facilities. He said officials were confident Laos would host a successful event, thanks to the support of China.

Industrial Park Overseas Investment and China Yunnan Construction Engineering Group have employed more than 1,200 personnel from China and 400 Lao labourers to work at the site. All the sporting arenas will meet requirements as stipulated by the Asian Athletic Federation. In addition to the football stadium, athletes’ accommodation, two multipurpose indoor stadiums, tennis courts, a shooting field, an archery field and a swimming pool are all being built on 1,000 hectares of land in Dongsanghin village, Xaythany district, 16km south of the city centre.

A contract for the construction of the main stadium was signed between the Lao government and the China Development Bank in Vientiane in April 2007. The two Chinese construction companies have agreed to lease the land for 50 years from the Lao government. At the end of this period the facility will be handed back to the Lao people. Construction of the complex is projected to cost US$100 million. Mr Somsavat and his delegation visited the athletes’ dormitory at the National University of Laos’ Dongdok campus, which is currently about 15 percent complete and on track for completion in June next year. The taekwondo training centre at the National University of Laos is being built with funding assistance of US$300,000 from the Booyoung Company of the Republic of Korea. The Lao national taekwondo team will begin training at the centre in preparation for the SEA Games as soon as construction is complete.

The LNSC will use the centre to host future national and provincial taekwondo, wrestling and other martial arts events.

Vientianetimes

Under the original plan, the organising committee proposed Vientiane be the main venue for the games, with Champassak and Luang Prabang provinces hosting some events.

The technical committee has now said the government has decided all events will take place in Vientiane and the organising committee has now allocated venues for each sport.

A technical committee official, Mr Phouvane Vongsouthi, told the media the organising committee had called off plans for events to be organised in Champassak and Luang Prabang provinces because of budget constraints.

The organising committee said recent heavy flooding around the country had caused a great deal of damage and money that had been allocated for the SEA Games had been diverted to help flood victims. Committee members had decided not to continue with the construction of SEA Games facilities in the provinces, but to hold all the events in Vientiane .

The organising committee confirmed preparations for the SEA Games were on schedule and said all the venues would be ready on time.

The committee says athletics, swimming, diving, water polo, badminton, golf, shooting, volleyball, tennis and archery events will take place at the new sports complex being built at Km 16 in Dongsanghin village, Xaythany district.

Table tennis matches will take place at the National University of Laos (NUOL) indoor court and taekwondo and wrestling events will also be held at the campus, in the Booyoung indoor stadium.

Pétanque matches will be at the Dongdok campus and boxing bouts will take place in the Olympasia indoor stadium at the campus.

Sepak takraw, wushu and pencak silat events will be held at the Lao International Trade Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Football matches will be played at four different venues: the National Stadium in Anou village, Chanthabouly district; the new stadium at Km 16; the NUOL stadium and the Army stadium at Km 5.

Judo and karatedo athletes will compete at the Chao-anouvong indoor stadium in Anou village.

Kick-boxing and shuttlecock events will take place at the Vientiane Sports Department in Beungkhayong village, Sisattanak district.

Billiards and snooker will be played at the Don Chan Palace .

These plans will be reviewed at a meeting of the SEA Games Council to take place in Vientiane from November 11-13. The meeting will be attended by representatives of various Southeast Asian sporting bodies.

The people of Laos are preparing to welcome visitors to Laos to cheer on their teams at the games. The games are held to build a bridge of friendship among all South East Asian nations.

By Sisay Vilaysack
Vientianetimes