Taekwondo artists to compete in World Cup Champs; National Futsal Tournament about to kick off; South Africa willing to share experience in sports development; 13 wild cards for Vietnam at Youth Olympic Games

Taekwondo artists to compete in World Cup Champs

Female Vietnamese artists will take part in the 2010 World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships due to begin in Urumqi, China, on July 17.

They are Nguyen Thi Hoai Thu, Nguyem Thi Huyen, Nguyen Thanh Thao and Doan Thi Huong Giang. They flew to Urumqi on July 13 for training and warm-up exercises.

The competition offers a good chance for the Vietnamese artists to prepare for the 16th Asian Games.

The World Taekwondo Federation will observe new rules at this competition.

National Futsal Tournament about to kick off

The 2010 National Futsal Tournament will be held at the Phu Tho arena in Ho Chi Minh City from July 20 to August 1.

The tourney will host 12 teams divided into two groups to compete in a round robin basis. Group A will include Pham Gia Automobile, An Giang Cafe, Tam Nhat Minh, VLT-Da Nang, Thai Son Bac and BV-AP-Binh Thuan, while Group B will comprise Thai Son Nam, Hoang Thu-Da Nang, Sanna-Khanh Hoa, Tan Hiep Hung, PVC Vinaconex and Hai Phat-Dak Lak.

The event’s two major donors are Vietnam Football Development JSC and Viettel Post JCS.

The champion team will win VND25 million. The first and second runners up will receive VND15 million and VND10 million, respectively.

Three individual prizes of VND2 million each will be presented to the best striker, the best goalkeeper and the player who scores the most goals.

South Africa willing to share experience in sports development

South Africa is willing to cooperate and share experience with Vietnam in sports development and management, says Makhenkesi Stofile, Minister of Sports and Recreation.

Minister Stofile made the statement while holding talks with Hoang Tuan Anh, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism who visited South Africa from July 9-12.

He affirmed that Vietnam is an ally of the African National Congress (ANC) and South Africans in the struggle against Apartheid.

He recalled late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh’s speech with ANC leader Oliver Tambo during their meeting in 1962 that solidarity would result in success, and that ANC has since followed that speech.

Minister Anh congratulated South Africa on its recent successful hosting of the World Cup and expressed Vietnam’s desires to increase cooperation in sports with this African nation.

He invited Minister Stofile and a South African football team to take part in celebrations to mark Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary this October.

While in South Africa, Minister Anh also met with Minister of Arts and Culture Lulu Xingwana.

13 wild cards for Vietnam at Youth Olympic Games

Vietnam has been given 13 wild cards for competitions at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games which will begin in Singapore in mid August.

The tickets went to weight lifting (3), swimming (3), Taekwondo (2), badminton (2), athletics (1), shooting (1) and wrestling (1).

Vietnam is planning to send a delegation comprising more than 20 members to the games.

This is the first time Vietnam takes part in the event.

Singapore is putting the finishing touches to work for the opening ceremony on August 14.

Six countries in HCM City int’l athletics tournament

The 17th Ho Chi Minh City Open Athletics Tournament will be held at Thong Nhat stadium, HCM City from July 17-19, attracting 322 domestic and foreign competitors.

Of them, 22 come from the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia.

Vietnam will field its strongest athletes, including Vu Thi Huong, Truong Thanh Hang, Nguyen Dinh Cuong, Le Ngoc Phuong and Duong Thi Viet Anh.

At a press conference on July 15, Nguyen Trung Hinh, Vice Chairman of HCM City’s Athletics Federation, said that the tournament has been officially recognised and included in the region’s series of competitions since May by the Asian Athletics Association.

In the next tournament, the organising board expects more 10 countries to attend the event, including China, Japan and Qatar.

2010 National U-17 Football Tournament kicks off

The final round of the 2010 National U-17 Football Tournament officially began in the central city of Da Nang on July 15.

Eight teams, including host team Da Nang, Song Lam Nghe An and the six winners from the qualifying round, are taking part.

The new champion will receive a gold medal and VND60 million and the runner-up, silver medal and VND40 million, and the third place will be given a bronze medal and VND30 million.

The tournament will last until July 24.

PV