Vietnamese fighters to compete in Indonesia

The Vietnam national karate team will compete in the third Indonesia Open Karate Championships in Jakarta from May 30 – June 2.

Considered a leadup to the Southeast Asian games, the Jakarta event will draw teams from ASEAN countries such as Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia, as well as some Asian nations including Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Qatar.

The Indonesia Open is a good chance for the Vietnam team to polish their skills in preparation for the 26 Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia in November.

National beach football tourney to open

The national beach football tourney will be held in Tuy Hoa City in the southcentral coastal province of Phu Yen from June 7-13.

The event draws the participation of 8 teams from Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Binh Dinh, Danang, Khanh Hoa, Thuan An and the host, Phu Yen.

The teams are divided into two groups, A and B. The two winners of each group will enter the semi-final round.

The champion will receive VND25 million. The second and two third runners-up will get VND15 million and VND7 million, respectively.

The organising board will also award the best style, the best striker and the best goal keeper.

Hong to have knee surgery in Singapore

Female footballer Tran Thi Kim Hong will fly to Singapore tomorrow for a knee surgery.

The surgery, to repair a knee ligament tear, is scheduled for Thursday next. The cost of the treatment, estimated at VND280 million (US$14,000), will be borne by the Viet Nam Football Federation, HCM City Football Federation and a few individual donors.

The Golden Ball 2010 winner, midfielder and national team captain sustained the injury during the first leg of the National Women’s Football Championship that took place in the northern province of Ha Nam in April.

Vietnam to compete at international futsal championship

The Vietnam national futsal squad will join the 2011 International Futsal Championship scheduled to be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from May 28-31.

At the tournament, the Vietnamese team will compete against Neftchi FC from Azerbaijan, Norilsky-Nikel from Russia and the host Ardus FC from Uzbekistan.

According to Head of the Vietnam futsal team, Tran Anh Tu, the tournament will provide a good chance for the Vietnamese players to test their skills against strong competitors from Asia and Europe. Ardus FC from Uzbekistan and Neftchi FC from Azerbaijan are both national defending champions in their respective countries whilst Norilsky-Nikel also ranks amongst the top eight in Russia.

According to the programme for the fixture, Vietnam will take on the host Ardus FC in their opening match, followed by Neftchi FC and Norilsky-Nikel.