Tough test for table tennis players; Taekwondo artist joins world’s top 10; School kids realise their dreams; V-League Vinh chasing more strikes

Doan Kien Quoc.

The country’s leading players, including Doan Kien Quoc, Nguyen Nam Hai, Tran Tuan Quynh and Dinh Quang Linh, have not been in top form lately.

At an international tournament in HCM City last month, Viet Nam were third in the men’s teams event and men’s and women’s doubles but none of its players reached singles finals.

Thirty-year-old Quoc, a dual Olympian, plans to retire from the national team while youngsters Hai and Linh have not succeeded at international tournaments.

Viet Nam’s last single’s win at a SEA Games was Vu Manh Cuong’s success in 2001 in the men’s event.

Rising star Nguyen Viet Linh has surprised many with victories at last month’s national teams championships and there are hopes the 15-year-old, from Lang Son province, can play a key role for Viet Nam at the Games.

Taekwondo artist joins world’s top 10

Taekwondo artist Tran Thi Ngoc Truc has made the top 10 on world rankings released last month by the World Taekwondo Federation.

HCM City’s Truc, who contested the women’s 53kg class at last year’s Beijing Olympics, is the only Vietnamese athlete ranked among the world’s best.

A winner at the World Junior Taekwondo Championship in HCM City three years ago, she will compete at December’s Southeast Asian Games in Laos.

School kids realise their dreams

Three Vietnamese youngsters will join a training course at the Qatar-based Aspire Sports Academy next year.

Ma Van Tuan, Dang Thanh Tuan and Nguyen Thai Chung from Da Nang were among 47 candidates at last month’s final qualification at HCM City’s Thanh Long Sport Centre.

Along with other youngsters from 13 countries, they face a three-week test during which a three-year scholarship for a professional course at the academy is up for grabs.

The selections in Viet Nam were during a joint project, Football Dreams, run by the Viet Nam Football Federation and the academy, which aims to recruit young talent from throughout the world.

Earlier this year more than 20,000 Vietnamese aged 13 to 15 received tough testing by coaches from the Barcelona youth team.

V-League Vinh chasing more strikes

With four rounds to play, Military Zone 4’s Brazilian Lazaro De Souza leads the V-League’s list of top scorers with 15 goals.

Da Nang’s Merio has netted one fewer while Ha Noi T&T’s top striker Le Cong Vinh, has 12 goals after 22 league matches.

Vinh received the Golden Ball winner as the best footballer in 2004, 05 and 07 but has not been the league’s fop scorer. The 24-year-old striker signed a record four-year contract transfer fee of US$400,000 to move from Song Lam Nghe An to Ha Noi T&T.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News