Weightlifter Hoang Anh Tuan ranks 15th in the world; VFF signs contract to sponsor men’s football team; Chess masters set for Asia champs; Archers to pack quivers for Iran

Weightlifter Hoang Anh Tuan.

Vietnamese weightlifter Hoang Anh Tuan has secured 15th position in the world ranking, reported by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF).

Hoang Anh Tuan, who won the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and was champion at the 2008 Good Luck Beijing Championships, is the only Vietnamese national to make it to the world’s top fifteen.

Topping the list are Mattathias Stainer from Germany and Liu Chunhong from China, while another Chinese weightlifter Long Qingquan, who won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, could only reach 5^th place.

VFF signs contract to sponsor men’s football team

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) in Hanoi on March 3 signed a contract with the Asia Huu Lien Joint Stock Company to sponsor the national U23 team.

The VND2 billion-contract for 3 years (2009-2011) has made the Asia Huu Lien JSC become the third sponsor of the national men’s football team, after Yamaha (with a 2-year contract costing US$250,000) and Nike (with a 5-year contract valued at US$5 million).

Half the amount of money will be transferred into the account of the national football team in 2009. The football team is expected to receive assistance from other potential sponsors, including Son Boss, a sponsor of Binh Dinh football club for the 2008 football season.

Chess masters set for Asia champs

Vietnam will take part in the Asian Chess Championship which will be organised in the Philippines in June.

The masters, who have finished the national championship, will be under Ukrainian coach Vasily Mukhaiev at HCM City’s National Sport Training Centre No 2.

Although grandmaster Le Quang Liem may sit out the tournament to focus on his academic studies, the team is determined to get good results.

Archers to pack quivers for Iran

Vietnamese archers will leave for Iran for the second round of the Asian Archery Grand Prix on March 20-25.

The third round will be held from May 15-19 in New Delhi, India. The fourth round will kick off in Kuala Lumpur on October 5-10 before the last round ten days later in Dakha, Bangladesh.

At the first round in Thailand last month, Nguyen Tien Cuong pocketed one gold and a silver medal for Vietnam in the men’s individual and team compound (three-string) events.

On November 11-18, the team will move to Bali, Indonesia, for the Asian Archery Championship.

VietNamNet/VOV/TT