Singles crowns to Huynh, Quan; Vietnam chase Asian Volleyball title; HCM City wins 2009 National Judo championship; Indoor Games officials to meet in Hanoi, HCM City

Ho Chi Minh City’s top tennis Huynh Mai Huynh and Do Minh Quan have won the women’s and men’s singles titles at the PPT Thailand Open.

After beating the event’s No 1 seed Pongsiri in the semi-finals, Quan defested the hosts’ Korkiatthaworn 2-0 (7-6, 6-1) in the final, despite an injury to his thigh. This is Quan’s second straight tournament win.

Meanwhile, Huynh defeated Thai Achiraya 2-1 (3-6, 6-2, 7-5) in the final.

Huynh failed to bring home another gold in the women’s doubles when she and Tam Hao lost to Thailand’s Khanitha and Siriporn 1-2 (5-7, 6-3, 3-6) in the doubles final.

Vietnam chase Asian Volleyball title

Vietnam men’s team will be in the same group with Iran, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and China at the 15th Asian Volleyball Championship in the Philippines from September 26 to October 5.

The championship is expected to attract 20 leading regional teams, who will be divided into four groups. The first and second teams in each group will go through to the quarter-finals.

Coach Nguyen Manh Hung said: “Iran and China are Asia’s top teams, so Vietnam will have little chance of making it through the qualifying round. However, Vietnam can beat Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.”

Vietnam will meet China first, and then Hong Kong, Iran and Sri Lanka

HCM City wins 2009 National Judo championship

Ho Chi Minh City has won 5 gold, 3 silver and 7 bronze medals to successfully defend its championship title at the 2009 National Judo Championships.

The tournament was held in the central province of Thanh Hoa from August 18-21 with the participation of 250 athletes from 22 provinces nationwide.

The organising board awarded 22 gold, 22 silver and 41 bronze medals to the best athletes in 16 categories.

Dong Thap province came second with 4 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals.

Indoor Games officials to meet in Hanoi, HCM City

The Organising Board of the third Asian Indoor Games will host conferences for heads of the participating teams in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City this month to prepare for the event to be held in Vietnam for the first time in early November.

The board announced at a press briefing in Hanoi on August 21 that the conferences will bring together heads of the participating teams, officials from the international and Asian sports confederations and senior officials from the Olympic Council of Asia. They will meet in Hanoi on August 26-28 and in Ho Chi Minh City on August 29-30.

Hoang Vinh Giang, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Olympic Committee, said that 41 countries and territories have registered to participate in the event and the organising board is awaiting replies to its invitation from Afghanistan, Palestine, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and East Timor.

He said preparations for the event, scheduled from October 30 to November 8, have almost been completed. An indoor athletic palace – the most important construction project costing more than VND500 billion – will open in mid-September.

At the press briefing, Jean Marc Olive, chief representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Vietnam, praised the host’s initiative for a non-smoking sports event.

PV