Nobody knows when Muay Thai came to Vietnam but some senior martial art masters say it appeared in South Vietnam in the early 1950s.
In 1994-1995, HCM City sent kickboxers to some international Muay Thai tournaments, the SEA Games and ASIAD. At that time, Muay Thai was a performance sport.
In October 2004, the Southeast Asian Sports Federation agreed to add Muay Thai to the list of official sports for the 23rd SEA Games in Philippines in late 2005. Vietnam considered the establishment of a national kick-boxing team by taking some members from the national Pencak Silat, boxing, and traditional martial arts teams. However, such a team was not set up.
Muay Thai has become an official sport at the 24th SEA Games. It will be also an official sport at this year’s 3rd Asian Indoor Games and 25th SEA Games.
The HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has decided to have a special training period for its Muay Thai team as of July 2008. The team’s members were previously members of boxing and traditional martial arts teams.
The HCM City Muay Thai team is practicing at the Phu Tho Sports House, under the guidance of coach Giap Trung Thang and Cao Van Tai. Coach Thang won a bronze medal in Muay Thai at the World King Cup 1996 and a silver medal at ASIAD 1998. He is also an international referee of the Southeast Asian Muay Thai Federation.
The team will represent Vietnam at the World Muay Thai Championship 2009 in Pataya, Thailand this March.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
POC, PSC set tough criteria for Laos SEAG
POC, PSC set tough criteria for Laos SEAG
MANILA, Philippines - There’s no free ride to Laos.
The country’s top sports leaders met for two hours yesterday and agreed that even gold and silver medalists in the 2007 Thailand SEA Games will not be seeded to this year’s staging of the biennial event.
“They are only candidates -- not sure that they’re in,” said Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping after sitting down with his four commissioners and their counterparts from the Philippine Olympic Committee.
Angping said even those who landed in the top eight of their respective events in the Asian Games, and those who made it to the 2008 Beijing Olympics won’t get automatic slots.
“They are merely included in the national pool which will hold tryouts for the next three months. And by June, we will know who will undergo intensive training (here and abroad) heading to Laos,” he said.
Officials believe that winning the silver and the gold in Thailand or finishing in the top eight in the 2006 Doha Asian Games is no assurance that the very same athletes remain in peak form years after.
The strict criteria should significantly bring down the number of Filipino athletes going to the Laos SEAG in December as sports officials put premium on quality of performance leading to the gold.
“If we send only 10 athletes so be it. Remember we’re going there for the gold -- nothing less than the gold,” said Angping, adding that as of now they have no idea how many will make it.
“We were one in saying that this time we’re looking at performance. We are sending only the best,” said PSC commissioner Jose Mundo.
In 2007, the Philippines sent close to 600 athletes to Thailand, and won only 41 gold medals for sixth place (RP’s worst finish in the SEA Games) or a ratio of one gold for every 14 athletes in the lowest of regional meets.
But Steve Hontiveros of bowling, who represented the POC along with Col. Buddy Andrada of tennis and chef-de-mission Mario Tanchangco of sepak-takraw, said of the 91 silvers the Philippines won, 42 of them came in subjective sports.
The budget for the Laos SEAG was not tackled during the meeting where a monitoring committee to be led by Hontiveros and Mundo was also formed.
“We will monitor not only the athletes but the coaches and the trainers as well,” said Mundo. – Abac Cordero
MANILA, Philippines - There’s no free ride to Laos.
The country’s top sports leaders met for two hours yesterday and agreed that even gold and silver medalists in the 2007 Thailand SEA Games will not be seeded to this year’s staging of the biennial event.
“They are only candidates -- not sure that they’re in,” said Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping after sitting down with his four commissioners and their counterparts from the Philippine Olympic Committee.
Angping said even those who landed in the top eight of their respective events in the Asian Games, and those who made it to the 2008 Beijing Olympics won’t get automatic slots.
“They are merely included in the national pool which will hold tryouts for the next three months. And by June, we will know who will undergo intensive training (here and abroad) heading to Laos,” he said.
Officials believe that winning the silver and the gold in Thailand or finishing in the top eight in the 2006 Doha Asian Games is no assurance that the very same athletes remain in peak form years after.
The strict criteria should significantly bring down the number of Filipino athletes going to the Laos SEAG in December as sports officials put premium on quality of performance leading to the gold.
“If we send only 10 athletes so be it. Remember we’re going there for the gold -- nothing less than the gold,” said Angping, adding that as of now they have no idea how many will make it.
“We were one in saying that this time we’re looking at performance. We are sending only the best,” said PSC commissioner Jose Mundo.
In 2007, the Philippines sent close to 600 athletes to Thailand, and won only 41 gold medals for sixth place (RP’s worst finish in the SEA Games) or a ratio of one gold for every 14 athletes in the lowest of regional meets.
But Steve Hontiveros of bowling, who represented the POC along with Col. Buddy Andrada of tennis and chef-de-mission Mario Tanchangco of sepak-takraw, said of the 91 silvers the Philippines won, 42 of them came in subjective sports.
The budget for the Laos SEAG was not tackled during the meeting where a monitoring committee to be led by Hontiveros and Mundo was also formed.
“We will monitor not only the athletes but the coaches and the trainers as well,” said Mundo. – Abac Cordero
Taekwondo: making breakthrough to top SEA
Taekwondo 25th SEA Games,
VietNamNet Bridge – The national taekwondo team has invited the former world champion Kim Jae Sik (Korean), 28, to train its artists, wishing to surpass Thailand to take the lead in Southeast Aisa.
The Korean coach will start working in Vietnam as of February 15, with monthly pay of $2,700. He was the world champion in the men’s 62kg category in 2005. He has been away from this career for two years.
Previously the Vietnam Taekwondo Federation hired another Korean expert, Kim Seon Kyoo, former chief of the referee division of the Asia Taekwondo Federation, as its adviser at some tournaments.
In recent years, Vietnamese taekwondo always ranked behind Thailand at the SEA Games and the Olympics. This year, Vietnam aims to take three to four gold medals at the 25th SEA Games. At the 24th SEA Games, Vietnam had three gold, four silvers and six bronze medals.
After female artist Vo Hieu Ngan won a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics, Vietnam failed to repeat the record at 2004 Olympics and 2008 Olympics.
This year, the national taekwondo team will participate in three key international tournaments: the ASIAD Young Taekwondo, the Asia Indoor Games and the 25th SEA Games.
Some local significant taekwondo events will be held this year, namely the National Taekwondo Championship 2009 in April in Hanoi, the Taekwondo Cup for French Speaking Countries in May and the HCM City International Taekwondo Tournament in July.
VietNamNet/TP
VietNamNet Bridge – The national taekwondo team has invited the former world champion Kim Jae Sik (Korean), 28, to train its artists, wishing to surpass Thailand to take the lead in Southeast Aisa.
The Korean coach will start working in Vietnam as of February 15, with monthly pay of $2,700. He was the world champion in the men’s 62kg category in 2005. He has been away from this career for two years.
Previously the Vietnam Taekwondo Federation hired another Korean expert, Kim Seon Kyoo, former chief of the referee division of the Asia Taekwondo Federation, as its adviser at some tournaments.
In recent years, Vietnamese taekwondo always ranked behind Thailand at the SEA Games and the Olympics. This year, Vietnam aims to take three to four gold medals at the 25th SEA Games. At the 24th SEA Games, Vietnam had three gold, four silvers and six bronze medals.
After female artist Vo Hieu Ngan won a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics, Vietnam failed to repeat the record at 2004 Olympics and 2008 Olympics.
This year, the national taekwondo team will participate in three key international tournaments: the ASIAD Young Taekwondo, the Asia Indoor Games and the 25th SEA Games.
Some local significant taekwondo events will be held this year, namely the National Taekwondo Championship 2009 in April in Hanoi, the Taekwondo Cup for French Speaking Countries in May and the HCM City International Taekwondo Tournament in July.
VietNamNet/TP
Journey toward Laotian capital Vientiane
Nick Claxton has never ventured outside of Europe before but a combination of too many years in London, a lack of proper responsibilities and an unhealthy admiration for Michael Palin now means he is spending a year travelling the globe. A terminally-disorganised 24-year-old taking on the world - solo. Here is his 29th blog entry:
Sunrise in Vang Vieng is supposed to be a bit special. Apparently, misty clouds still hover over the craggy mountains and turn bright reds and pinks as the early morning light catches it.
I never saw it, however. This backpacker haven's assorted bars and their late-night whisky bucket deals wrote off any meaningful activity before 11:00 at least.
Ignoring the tiresome possibility of alcoholism for a moment - should I be worried that most of my updates end with me sitting in a bar and having a beer?! - it must be said that I was hardly the exception in Vang Vieng.
Even though it wasn't high season, there were still enough backpackers following the 'banana pancake trail' through Laos to fill out at least one of the riverside bars at night. And then everyone's days are either spent in recovery or given over to more self-abuse by going tubing again.
But there's more to Vang Vieng than just alcohol, rubber rings, Friends bars and magic mushroom milkshakes, right?
Determined to find out, Naomi, Nik, Briony and I picked up a local map and decided to head out towards the promisingly-named Blue Lagoon.
Renting motorbikes for the day was a cinch (40,000 kip [£3]) and after filling up, we crossed the disused airfield (used by the CIA´s covert airline Air America during the Vietnam War) and headed out of town.
Having only learnt to drive a bike back in India, the 'challenging' quality of the roads and rickety bridges agitated me slightly - though I'm sure Briony clinging on behind me was more worried! But we all arrived in one piece at the base of the cliffs where in the shade lay a spring-fed lagoon. Even quieter than Vang Vieng, it was perfect for relaxing, swimming in the lagoon among the carp and playing on the rope swing.
Plus above us was the Golden Cave, which after a short while I clambered up to explore (10,000 kip (£1) entry fee). The makeshift bamboo ladder leads you straight up the mountainside for about ten or fifteen minutes before a plateau with the cave entrance. A short but slippery walk inside brought me to the Sleeping Golden Buddha statue, perched perilously close to a steep drop into blackness.
Gifts of incense left by earlier visitors still smouldered, though it was eerily cool and peaceful inside the cave. Before heading back down to the lagoon, I spent almost twenty minutes marvelling at the near-silence - broken only by quiet drips water or the leathery swoosh of bats.
We spent another night in Vang Vieng's backpacker-friendly bliss before continuing south to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Unsurprisingly, a capital city of just 200,000 people bears no comparison to some of south-east Asia's other bustling hubs and, like everywhere else in Laos, life in Vientiane runs at a seductive, slow pace that is just so easy to fall into.
Nothing seems urgent - and to be honest, we found there's not actually a lot to do in any case. Strolling around town and nosing around Vientiane's temples takes an afternoon or so, while also worth your time are a few monuments like the Pha That Luang, the national symbol of Laos.
But with the Lao National Museum closed for renovation, Vientiane's colonial charm was all that was left to enjoy.
Truly caught up in the lackadaisical Laotian lifestyle, we ventured gingerly from our quiet hostel whenever we gathered enough energy - either to or take dips in the pool of one of the larger hotels or just people-watch in cafes along the Mekong. Each evening, we'd find a place on the banks of the river and just enjoy the soft breeze, the good company and a beer as we watched the deep red sun setting dramatically over Thailand just across the water.
Maybe it was because I knew my time in south-east Asia was coming to an end, but I savoured this inactivity in Vientiane. For the previous few months, part of my brain had always been looking forward to where I was heading next. Each stop offered something slightly new and different to explore - which always made it easier to move on even if I loved where I was.
I could have stayed on Tioman Island forever, but the promise of discovering Kuala Lumpur dragged me away. Siem Reap and the Angkor temples possessed a magical charm, but my dark fascination with Cambodia's recent past pulled me to Phnom Penh. But now all that was left was returning to Bangkok - a vibrant, enthralling place for sure, but no longer a complete mystery to me.
In fact, the only new things Bangkok promised were goodbyes as our little group that had somehow been thrown together over the past few months was splitting up. Some were going home, others were carrying on their travels around Thailand and me… well, I was going to take a slight detour…
But that was all still to come. For now, we had another perfect south-east Asian sunset to enjoy - sitting in a bar, drinking a beer. Again.
Nicolas Claxton
Sunrise in Vang Vieng is supposed to be a bit special. Apparently, misty clouds still hover over the craggy mountains and turn bright reds and pinks as the early morning light catches it.
I never saw it, however. This backpacker haven's assorted bars and their late-night whisky bucket deals wrote off any meaningful activity before 11:00 at least.
Ignoring the tiresome possibility of alcoholism for a moment - should I be worried that most of my updates end with me sitting in a bar and having a beer?! - it must be said that I was hardly the exception in Vang Vieng.
Even though it wasn't high season, there were still enough backpackers following the 'banana pancake trail' through Laos to fill out at least one of the riverside bars at night. And then everyone's days are either spent in recovery or given over to more self-abuse by going tubing again.
But there's more to Vang Vieng than just alcohol, rubber rings, Friends bars and magic mushroom milkshakes, right?
Determined to find out, Naomi, Nik, Briony and I picked up a local map and decided to head out towards the promisingly-named Blue Lagoon.
Renting motorbikes for the day was a cinch (40,000 kip [£3]) and after filling up, we crossed the disused airfield (used by the CIA´s covert airline Air America during the Vietnam War) and headed out of town.
Having only learnt to drive a bike back in India, the 'challenging' quality of the roads and rickety bridges agitated me slightly - though I'm sure Briony clinging on behind me was more worried! But we all arrived in one piece at the base of the cliffs where in the shade lay a spring-fed lagoon. Even quieter than Vang Vieng, it was perfect for relaxing, swimming in the lagoon among the carp and playing on the rope swing.
Plus above us was the Golden Cave, which after a short while I clambered up to explore (10,000 kip (£1) entry fee). The makeshift bamboo ladder leads you straight up the mountainside for about ten or fifteen minutes before a plateau with the cave entrance. A short but slippery walk inside brought me to the Sleeping Golden Buddha statue, perched perilously close to a steep drop into blackness.
Gifts of incense left by earlier visitors still smouldered, though it was eerily cool and peaceful inside the cave. Before heading back down to the lagoon, I spent almost twenty minutes marvelling at the near-silence - broken only by quiet drips water or the leathery swoosh of bats.
We spent another night in Vang Vieng's backpacker-friendly bliss before continuing south to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Unsurprisingly, a capital city of just 200,000 people bears no comparison to some of south-east Asia's other bustling hubs and, like everywhere else in Laos, life in Vientiane runs at a seductive, slow pace that is just so easy to fall into.
Nothing seems urgent - and to be honest, we found there's not actually a lot to do in any case. Strolling around town and nosing around Vientiane's temples takes an afternoon or so, while also worth your time are a few monuments like the Pha That Luang, the national symbol of Laos.
But with the Lao National Museum closed for renovation, Vientiane's colonial charm was all that was left to enjoy.
Truly caught up in the lackadaisical Laotian lifestyle, we ventured gingerly from our quiet hostel whenever we gathered enough energy - either to or take dips in the pool of one of the larger hotels or just people-watch in cafes along the Mekong. Each evening, we'd find a place on the banks of the river and just enjoy the soft breeze, the good company and a beer as we watched the deep red sun setting dramatically over Thailand just across the water.
Maybe it was because I knew my time in south-east Asia was coming to an end, but I savoured this inactivity in Vientiane. For the previous few months, part of my brain had always been looking forward to where I was heading next. Each stop offered something slightly new and different to explore - which always made it easier to move on even if I loved where I was.
I could have stayed on Tioman Island forever, but the promise of discovering Kuala Lumpur dragged me away. Siem Reap and the Angkor temples possessed a magical charm, but my dark fascination with Cambodia's recent past pulled me to Phnom Penh. But now all that was left was returning to Bangkok - a vibrant, enthralling place for sure, but no longer a complete mystery to me.
In fact, the only new things Bangkok promised were goodbyes as our little group that had somehow been thrown together over the past few months was splitting up. Some were going home, others were carrying on their travels around Thailand and me… well, I was going to take a slight detour…
But that was all still to come. For now, we had another perfect south-east Asian sunset to enjoy - sitting in a bar, drinking a beer. Again.
Nicolas Claxton
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Vietnamese marksmen target seven SEA Games gold medals
Vietnamese marksmen target seven SEA Games gold medals
The national shooting team has set an ambitious goal to bag seven golds at the 25th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Laos later this year.
Shooters in the key rifle event will be trained by the outstanding coach from the Republic of Korea, Kim Kyung-Jae. Previously, they had been under coaches from Russia, Germany and China.
Commentators predict that the 28-year-old Korean coach will raise the bar of competitive shooting in Vietnam as he has been working in Seoul for three years on a US$4,000/month contract. As head of the Vietnamese national team, he will now earn US$1,700 per month.
There will be no change to the team’s budget from the State this year, but because of a great deal of investment in the teams’ diet, trainers will have to be strict about the number of shooters included in the pool.
This year’s team will include 37 shooters and seven coaches. They will meet in the National Sports and Physical Training Centre No. 1 on Feb. 15 to prepare for the year ahead and are divided into two groups, rifle and pistol.
According to General Secretary of the Vietnam Shooting Federation, Nguyen Duc Uynh, the Vietnamese crackshots will take part in the 33rd SEA Shooting Association Championship in Thailand where they will need 12 gold medals to defend their title.
The national shooting team has set an ambitious goal to bag seven golds at the 25th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Laos later this year.
Shooters in the key rifle event will be trained by the outstanding coach from the Republic of Korea, Kim Kyung-Jae. Previously, they had been under coaches from Russia, Germany and China.
Commentators predict that the 28-year-old Korean coach will raise the bar of competitive shooting in Vietnam as he has been working in Seoul for three years on a US$4,000/month contract. As head of the Vietnamese national team, he will now earn US$1,700 per month.
There will be no change to the team’s budget from the State this year, but because of a great deal of investment in the teams’ diet, trainers will have to be strict about the number of shooters included in the pool.
This year’s team will include 37 shooters and seven coaches. They will meet in the National Sports and Physical Training Centre No. 1 on Feb. 15 to prepare for the year ahead and are divided into two groups, rifle and pistol.
According to General Secretary of the Vietnam Shooting Federation, Nguyen Duc Uynh, the Vietnamese crackshots will take part in the 33rd SEA Shooting Association Championship in Thailand where they will need 12 gold medals to defend their title.
Taekwondo: making breakthrough to top SEA
VietNamNet Bridge – The national taekwondo team has invited the former world champion Kim Jae Sik (Korean), 28, to train its artists, wishing to surpass Thailand to take the lead in Southeast Aisa.
The Korean coach will start working in Vietnam as of February 15, with monthly pay of $2,700. He was the world champion in the men’s 62kg category in 2005. He has been away from this career for two years.
Previously the Vietnam Taekwondo Federation hired another Korean expert, Kim Seon Kyoo, former chief of the referee division of the Asia Taekwondo Federation, as its adviser at some tournaments.
In recent years, Vietnamese taekwondo always ranked behind Thailand at the SEA Games and the Olympics. This year, Vietnam aims to take three to four gold medals at the 25th SEA Games. At the 24th SEA Games, Vietnam had three gold, four silvers and six bronze medals.
After female artist Vo Hieu Ngan won a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics, Vietnam failed to repeat the record at 2004 Olympics and 2008 Olympics.
This year, the national taekwondo team will participate in three key international tournaments: the ASIAD Young Taekwondo, the Asia Indoor Games and the 25th SEA Games.
Some local significant taekwondo events will be held this year, namely the National Taekwondo Championship 2009 in April in Hanoi, the Taekwondo Cup for French Speaking Countries in May and the HCM City International Taekwondo Tournament in July.
VietNamNet/TP
VN shooters target 7 SEA Games golds
VN shooters target 7 SEA Games golds
Thailand
from: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01SPO130209
(13-02-2009)
HA NOI — The national shooting team has set their sights on snatching seven golds at the 25th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in
Shooters in key rifle event will be trained by renowned
Experts predict that Kim will raise the bar of competitive shooting in
Twenty eight-year-old Kim has been coaching in
Nguyen Manh Tuong, who won gold medals in the men’s free pistol and air pistol events at the
Budgeting
There will be no change to the national team’s budget from the State this year. But because the athletes’ diet regime has been greatly invested in, trainers have to be strict about the number of shooters on the team.
This year’s team will include 37 shooters and seven coaches. They will meet in the Ha Noi-based National Sports Training Centre No 1 on Sunday to prepare for the year ahead.
Shooters are divided into two teams, rifle and pistol.
The national team will shrink from 37 to 25 athletes throughout training and competitions.
Nguyen Duc Uynh, general secretary of Viet Nam Shooting Federation said the federation will create the best conditions to help the national shooting complete their task at the SEA Games, as well as build a line-up of young talented marksmen.
from: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01SPO130209
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