Outstanding athletes, coaches of 2014 honoured

Twenty-three outstanding athletes and coaches, including those with disabilities, were honoured at an awards ceremony, held in Hanoi on March 27, Vietnam Sports Day.

The honourees were voted on by more than 200 journalists from media agencies around the country, based on their outstanding achievements and contributions to Vietnamese sports.

The winners include ten national athletes and five coaches as well as five athletes and three coaches with disabilities.

Young swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, who has made significant achievements in the international arena and at ASIAD 17 – 2014, ranked first on the list of the top ten national athletes with 1,077 points.

The awards are expected to encourage the athletes and coaches to strive for further success at competitions in the country and the world, especially for the SEA Games 28 and the qualifying rounds for the 2016 Olympics.

Initiated in 1978, the annual event is organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee, the Vietnam Olympic Committee and the Vietnam Sports Newspaper.

Phan Thi Ha Thanh of Viet Nam won the gold medal in the women's beam event in the eighth FIG Artistic Gymnastics Challenge Cup in Qatar.

She had no difficultly, leading the qualifying round with 14.050 points. With the clean moves she exhibited in the final on Saturday, she earned 14.250 points and the top position.

Phan Thi Ha Thanh (centre)

Giulia Steingruber of Switzerland came in a close second to win the silver medal with 14.125 points, followed by Romanian Diana Bulimar, who won the bronze medal with 14.025 points.

This is the second medal that the sole Vietnamese participant grabbed in Doha. Earlier, she won a silver medal in the vault event.

Thanh has now joined her Canadian teammate for a short training course to prepare for the upcoming 28th Southeast Asian Games and other international tournaments scheduled for later this year.

Viet Nam progress in Davis Cup

Viet Nam have secured a berth in next season's Davis Cup Group II Asia/Oceania.

On Saturday, they defeated Hong Kong 2-0 in the semi-final round of the Group III.

Nguyen Hoang Thien beat Phillip King 6-1, 6-0 before Ly Hoang Nam defeated Hei Yin Andrew Li 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the singles matches.

Hosts Malaysia took another berth after winning 2-0 over Turkmenistan in a semis match.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Qatar suffered setbacks at the tournament.

HCM City dominate in the pool

Tran Duy Khoi of HCM City set a record in the men's 400m freestyle – his third record – at the National Short-course Swimming and Finswimming Championship in HCM City yesterday, March 29.

Khoi clocked in at 3min 51.85sec, surpassing the old record of 3:55.24 set by Hoang Quy Phuoc of Da Nang in 2014.

Khoi has so far won six gold medals at the 25m swimming pool championship.

His teammate, Tran Thi Kim Tuyen, also won five gold medals at the championship, as HCM City leads the medal table with 17 golds, eight silvers and five bronzes.

Earlier, HCM City broke the national record in the women's 400m freestyle relay.

HCM City were the record holders and gold medal winners with 4:21.59, beating their own record of 4:25.79 set last year.

Bao resigns as Thanh Hoa coach

Vu Quang Bao is now the second coach to lose or quit his job this season at the Toyota V-League 1.

Thanh Hoa FC were surprised to receive Bao's resignation letter on Friday, as his team was in the second position in rankings after eight rounds.

Both Bao and managers at the club declined to comment on the reason behind this separation.

Rumour has it that Nguyen Van Sy, who was the first coach to be fired this season, is in line to take Bao's position.

Sy is available for the post, having parted with Can Tho at the beginning of the tournament.

V-League 1 is to resume on April 12.

Vietnam top Davis Cup Group B

Vietnam defeated Cambodia 3-0 to top Group B at the Davis Cup's Group Three Asia/Oceania Zone in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 27.

Nguyen Hoang Thien crushed Samneang Long 6-1, 6-3 in the first men's singles rubber.

In the second men's singles match, Ly Hoang Nam easily beat Socheaphearun Doeum 6-2, 6-2.

In the men's doubles, Do Minh Quan and Lam Quang Tri also defeated Doeum and Long 6-4, 6-1.

In their first and second match, Vietnam crushed Turkmenistan 3-0 and beat Syria 2-1.

Today, Vietnam will meet Hong Kong (China) in the semi-finals.

VNS/VNA