Nam to play tennis in Costa Rica, Venezuela

Tennis player Ly Hoang Nam will compete in two international tournaments this month.

Nam, who has withdrawn from the 2014 Australian Open's junior category, arrived in Costa Rica for the Coffee Bowl event, to be held on January 6-11. He then will travel to Venezuela to compete in the Copa Gatorade on January 13-19.

Nam has been seeded No 4 in both events.

Middle distance runners battle it out in Binh Duong

Quang Ninh's Nguyen Thi Tinh came in first in the women's 5km race during Binh Duong Province's 15th tournament – the Number One Cup – yesterday.

Nguyen Thi Xuan Tot of Khanh Hoa and teammate Nguyen Thi My Chi finished second and third, respectively.

In the men's competition, Dong Nai's Le Van Tuan defeated defending champion Nguyen Dang Duc Bao of Khanh Hoa to take the top position in the 10km run.

Pham Ngoc Hoang, also from Khanh Hoa, came in third.

With two athletes among the top three in all categories for professional athletes, Khanh Hoa successfully maintained its leading position in the team-ranking table.

The organisers also held races for pupils, students and soldiers.

The annual race drew 40 teams of men and women competing for a bonus of VND200 million (US$9,500).

Aquatic sport centre opens in Can Tho

The first aquatic sport centre in the Cuu Long (Mekong Delta) region opened in Can Tho City yesterday.

The 480,000sqm centre will offer activities such as kayaking, sailing, wakeboarding and water motor sports.

The centre is open eight hours per day, with a fee of VND20,000 for both local and foreign visitors. Sport activities on the beach, such as petanque, volleyball, basketball and football, are free.

FIFA World Cup trophy arrives in Hanoi

The FIFA World Cup trophy arrived in Hanoi on December 31, beginning a Vietnam visit that will last until January 2, 2014.

Vietnamese football fans will have rare opportunities for close-up views at Hanoi’s Quan Ngua Sport Palace on January 1.

Visitors can have their photo taken with the trophy, join a football festival featuring dancing and ball games, and enjoy a special hologram animation showcasing memorable World Cup moments.

Politicians and partners of Coca-Cola Vietnam will see the original trophy on January 2 before it continues its journey to Malaysia.

The visit is part of the official 2014 FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour, conducted every four years.

This year’s tour began from Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue on September 12. It will travel 150,000km in 267 days, passing through 88 countries and territories before returning to 2014 World Cup host nation Brazil.

Swimmer Anh Vien honored for success at SEA Games

Hanoi held a ceremony honoring the outstanding performance and achievements of local swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, who broke two records and won three gold medals, two silver and a bronze for her country at the recent 27th SEA Games.

Anh Vien surpassed six other nominees to win the “SEA Games impression” title and receive Vespa GTS Super 125 motor as a bonus (worth nearly VND80 million).

The six other candidates were marksman Hoang Xuan Vinh, track-and-field athlete Vu Thi Huong, track-and-field athlete Pham Thi Binh, swimmer Lam Quang Nhat, boxer Luu Thi Duyen, and weight-lifter Thach Kim Tuan.

High hopes are pinned on the swimmer to claim victory at the 17th Asian Games (ASIAD) in 2014 and Olympic Games.

VNS/VNA/VOV