National U19 football finals kick off

The final stage of the National U19 Football Championship – Ton Hoa Sen Cup 2014 commenced on March 12 at Pleiku Stadium, located in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai.

The ten-day competition features the top eight teams from the qualifying round, which was held from February 9 to March 3. Those eight teams are Viettel, Thanh Hoa, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, An Giang, Sanatech Khanh Hoa, Becamex Binh Duong, Hanoi T&T and Song Lam Nghe An.

The participating teams have been divided into two groups, and a round-robin format will decide the top two finishers from each group, who then move on to the semi-final round.

Following the opening ceremony, the tournament opened with two Group A match-ups: Hoang Anh Gia Lai versus An Giang and Viettel versus Thanh Hoa.

Khatoco Khanh Hoa were crowned champions in 2013 after beating Song Lam Nghe An 4-3 in a tense penalty shootout.

Trang wins sixth stage

Tran Thi Phuong Trang of Vinh Binh-An Giang Rice team overcame her rivals in the final metres to win the sixth stage of the Binh Duong International Women's Cycling Open yesterday.

Trang finished the 86km stage from Phan Rang City to Bac Binh District in Binh Thuan Province in a time of 2:11.07.

Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy of VTV Can Tho and Tran Thi Tuyet Nuong of Binh Duong Water Supply-Drainage and Environment 2 came in second and third.

Trang's teammate Nguyen Thi That held onto the yellow jersey for the best overall time and the green jersey for the top sprinter.

Today, cyclists will compete on the 105km seventh stage from Phan Thiet City to Dat Do District in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.

Ninh Binh to host Volleyball Cup

The Hoa Lu Volleyball Cup will be held in the northern province of Ninh Binh's Gymnasium over five days from Saturday.

Four men's teams - Trang An Ninh Binh, The Cong, Border guards, and Phu Tho Police - and four women's teams - PVD Thai Binh, Lien Viet Postbank, Tien Nong Thanh Hoa, and Viet Nam Bank for Industry and Trade - will compete.

The defending champions are Trang An Ninh Binh.

The winner will walk away with a prize money of VND60 million (US$2,800), while the runners-up will receive VND30 million ($1,400) and VND20 million ($950), respectively.

In-form Gia Lai beat An Giang in U-19 Champs

Host Hoang Anh Gia Lai crushed An Giang 3-1 in the opener of the National U-19 Football Championship at Pleiku Stadium yesterday.

Gia Lai launched an aggressive attack from the starting whistle, but were repeatedly blocked by a well organised An Giang defence. The host also only managed one goal attempt despite a solid 10 minute of offensive attacks.

Striker Kien Quyet broke the deadlock for the host in the twelfth minute, with a lob from the centre stunning An Giang's goalie. Minh Toan followed suit, extending the host lead with another goal in the thirty eighth minute.

Toan celebrated the return from half-time with a second goal after just five minutes, with a stunning break through An Giang's defence.

With a noticeable ease in the Gia Lai offence, Tai Loc scraped An Giang onto the scoreboard in the sixty second minute, capitalising on the visiting team's only opportunity.

The championship has drawn eight teams competing in two groups, with Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Thanh Hoa, An Giang and Viettel competing in Group A.

Group B comprises Ha Noi T&T, Song Lam Nghe An, Sanatech Khanh Hoa and Becamex Binh Duong, competing at Pleiku and Ham Rong Stadium.

The final match will be played at Pleiku Stadium on March 21.

Ho Chi Minh City tops national women’s tennis championships

Ho Chi Minh City claimed the top position at the 2014 National Women’s Tennis Championships, which wrapped up on March 11 at the Phu Tho Tennis Club in Ho Chi Minh City.

The HCMC squad took home five gold, three silver and three bronze medals. Tay Ninh finished second with one gold, one silver and two bronze medals, followed by Kien Giang with a silver and two bronzes.

Sixty players from eight teams across the country participated in the five-day tournament, including players from Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh, Kien Giang, Da Nang, Vinh Phuc, Binh Duong, Lam Dong and the Army team.

The participants competed in the singles and doubles disciplines, divided into under-14, under-16, under-18 and over-18 age groups.

This year’s tournament also included an amateur division, which attracted 34 players. Athletes from Ho Chi Minh City took the top prizes in this competition.