Former MU striker Dwight Yorke exchanges with HCMC fans

Former Manchester United (MU) striker Dwight Yorke had an exchange with Ho Chi Minh City’s football lovers at Phu Tho indoor stadium where the BIDV Manchester United Cup 2014 championships took place on November 8-9.

He said this was the second time he comes to Vietnam and he is always warmly welcomed by Vietnamese fans.

Yorke said he understands that Vietnamese people are very fond of football and hoped one day Vietnamese players will be qualified to play for Manchester United (MU).

Born in 1971 in Canaan, Trinidad and Tobago, Dwight Yorke started his career by playing for Aston Villa FC for nine years. He then joined Manchester United, a move which helped him climb to the top of his career with three historic scores in 1999.

Nicknamed “The Smiling Assassin”, Yorke performed for MU over four years, playing in 95 matches and scoring 47 goals.

In the afternoon of Nov. 9, Yorke presented cups for the four winning teams of the qualifying round of BIDV Manchester United Cup 2014 championships in HCM City which attracts 64 teams.

The football competition is set for the country’s three big cities including Ho Chi Minh City (November 8), Hanoi (November 15), and Danang (November 21).

The best four teams of each region will move on to the finals taking place in Danang city on November 23.

The winner of the championships will win VND100 million in cash. The runner-up and third place will get VND50 million and VND30 million, respectively.

Last year, the event attracted nearly 300 teams with more than 1,400 amateur players.

Real Madrid train underprivileged children in Vietnam

About 250 disadvantaged children in Vietnam will have a chance to play and learn to play football under the guide of Real Madrid coaches at HCM City-based RMIT university stadium on November 8 and 9.

This is part of a project implemented in Asian countries by YKK Japan and Real Madrid to support healthy growth of disadvantaged children aged between 10 and 14 through sports.

Under the project, each child will receive a football set inclusive of jersey, shorts, socks and a cap. They will join a 2-day training course with Real Madrid coaches Pablo Gomez Revenga, Javier Garcia Torres and Ivan Garcia Sacristan and 30 local coaches.

Luiz Fernandez, head of the Real Madrid office in Asia-Pacific said he has experienced warm sentiment from local people and children since the project was first launched in 2012. He also expressed his pleasure at the programme to take place in Vietnam for the first time.

Weightlifter Tuan wins gold at World Champs

Vietnamese weightlifter Thach Kim Tuan on November 8 bagged one gold and two silver medals in men’s 56kg weight category at the ongoing World Weightlifting Championships 2014 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

In jerk event, Tuan (lifting 135kg) outplayed his Chinese rivals Li Fabin (lifting 134kg) and Long Qing Quan (lifting 133kg). Tuan’s achievement helped him secure a gold medal in jerk event, and breaking his own record set in the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, the Republic of Korea in September.

In clean event, the Vietnamese athlete (lifting 161kg) was defeated by his competitor from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Om Yun Chol (lifting 168kg) and got a silver medal.

In the snatch, Thach Kim Tuan gained a total of 296kg, the same as Om Yun Chol. However, the Vietnamese athlete only got a silver medal because he was 0.04kg heavier than his Korean rival (55.75kg against 55.71kg).

The championships will last through to November 16.

Viet Nam pocket seven medals in table tennis

Vietnamese players won six bronze medals and one silver medal at the ASEAN Table Tennis Championships which wrapped up in Cambodia last Wednesday.

Senior players Tran Tuan Quynh and Mai Hoang My Trang placed third in the men's and women's singles events, respectively.

Athletes competing in the mixed doubles and women's doubles events won four more bronze medals while the women's team earlier won the silver medal.

Vietnamese children play football with Real coaches

Real Madrid Foundation coaches played with Vietnamese chilldren.

About 250 orphans and underprivileged children met and played football with trainers from the Real Madrid Foundation this weekend.

Earlier, coaches Pablo Gomez Revenga, Javier Garcia Torres and Ivan Garcia Sacristan spoke about the club's training methos and techniques with local coaches.

Vietnamese coaches will assist the Spanish counterparts at the kids' clinics at RMIT University's football field.

The programme, first organised in Viet Nam in 2009, supports the healthy growth of children via football clinics.

Golfers to tee off at national women's open

About 100 golf players will take part in the National Women's Golf Open at Do Son Seaside Golf Resort in Hai Phong City from November 14 to 16.

Competitors, including 20 foreigners, will be divided into groups based on their handicaps and ages.

Ngo Bao Nghi of HCM City will defend her title against anticipated strong challenges from national junior gold champion Nguyen Thao My, who represented Viet Nam at the recent Asian Games, and rising star Tran Chieu Duong, who has spent time training in the US.

Long An win second match, top group

Dong Tam Long An beat host Becamex Binh Duong 2-0 in a second round Group A match in the Binh Duong Television-Number One Cup tournament yesterday.

Their second win pushed Long An to the top of the group with six points.

South Korea University Selected Team are second after their 2-0 win over Thai BEC Tero Sasana in an earlier match at the Go Dau Stadium.

Binh Duong in third place, followed by Sasana.

In the next round tomorrow, Long An will play Sasana while Binh Duong face the South Korean students.

Da Nang targets top seven finish

A 400-member delegation from Da Nang will compete in the final round of National Sports Games held in the northern province of Nam Dinh from December 6-15.

The central city, which will compete in 28 events, targets a top seven finish among 36 cities and provinces.

In the previous edition of the tournament four years ago, Da Nang bagged 23 gold,19 silver and 21 bronze medals to rank fourth after Ha Noi, HCM City and the Military.

Since it opened on October 20, 23 sports contests have been organised in 19 provinces.

Nam Dinh will be the last location, hosting 13 events over two weeks.

Long An win first game in Binh Duong football event

Dong Tam Long An defeated Korea University Selection Team 2-1 in the first Group A match of the Binh Duong Television international football tournament yesterday.

Rafael Dos Santos Lima opened the score for Long An at the 25th minute, receiving a left-wing pass and scoring off a strong attack past goalkeeper Hwan Kang-jin.

Long An made a double in the second half with an attempt by Souleymane Diabate. The Koreans narrowed the result with a successful penalty by Choi Chi-won at the 75th mark.

V-League's Quang Ninh Coal will play Sport Clube Capixaba of Brazil and SHB Da Nang will meet Ayeyawady United FC, the Myanmar champions, in Group B matches tomorrow. 

Vovinam tournament brings closer Vietnam-Algeria ties

More than 500 athletes gathered on November 7 in the capital city of Alger for the second edition of the Ambassador’s Cup, a traditional Vietnamese martial art (Vovinam) tournament to celebrate the establishment of diplomatic ties.

After 2 hours of competition, the National Security Association won the first prize, while the Olympique Bourouba team ranked second and the Ouadsamar team placed third.

Vietnam Ambassador to Algeria Vu The Hiep said the event, organised by PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP), contributed to enhancing the friendship and cooperation relations between the two countries.

Vovinam has become popular in the North African country, as evidenced by the establishment of the Algeria Vovinam Federation (FAVV) last August, the Vietnamese diplomat said.

As many as  9,000 martial artists practise in 140 Vovinam clubs across the country.

Vovinam was introduced in Algeria by martial arts instructor Djouadj Mohamed in 2001 and has progressed since then through successful organization of championships with major national and continental awards and its participation in many international tournaments.