U19 team receives VND480 million gift from Brunei King

The 29th Brunei King has given VND480 million (roughly US$23,000) to the Vietnam U19 team as a token of appreciation for participating the 2014 Southeast Asian  Football Championships ongoing in Brunei from August 8 to 23.

King Hassal Bolkiah has also provided the U19 team, the brainchild of Brunei’s King Hassanal Bolkiah, with free accommodation and travel. The King provided all other competitors at the tournament similar benefits to Vietnam.

As scheduled, the Vietnam U19 squad plays in the final match of Group B against Cambodian footballers in hopes of getting a berth to the semi-finals.

The King is famous for his enormous wealth and generosity thanks to his huge assets reportedly worth tens of US billions of dollars. He is said to own two helicopters, more than 6,000 cars, one Airbus 340, and a 1,788-room palace.

Vietnam enter ASEAN youth football champs semi-finals

Vietnam has advanced to the semi-final round of the ASEAN Youth Football Championships in Brunei after defeating Cambodia 3-0 and taking the top place in Group B.

Ho Tuan Tai scored a double at the 30th and 44th minutes, while Phan Van Long made it 3-0 seven minutes before the end of the game of the August 18 match between Vietnam and Cambodia.

In the other match, Malaysia lost 1-0 to the hosts. They are the second team from Group B entering the semi-finals, slated for August 19.

Vietnam will meet Thailand, while Malaysia will face Myanmar in the last-four round.

In other football news, Vietnamese footballers trounced Singaporean opponents 10-0 in their first round match of the ASEAN Women’s U19 Football Championships in Thailand.

They will play East Timor in the second match at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on August 19.

Local player tops Int’l billiards tournament

Do Duc Hien from Can Tho city defeated 51 domestic and foreign players to claim the championship title of the third International Three-Cushion Carom Billiards Tournament which wound down in Binh Duong province on August 18.

Hien was awarded VND40 million.

Nguyen Duy Trung (Danang city) took second prize and won the best player title, each prize worth VND30 million.

Quyet Chien (Ho Chi Minh City) ranked third and received VND10 million.

Vietnamese students join sports festival in RoK

Vietnamese students from universities and research institutes across the Republic of Korea (RoK) have participated in the seventh Vietnamese Student Sports Festival on the occasion of Vietnam’s 68th Revolution Day (August 19) and National Day (September 2).   

The event, supported by the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK, the Kumho Asiana Group and some Korean businesses, drew the participation of athletes from 80 member branches of the Vietnam Students’ Association in the RoK (VSAK).

They competed in 250 matches in men and women’s football, badminton, table tennis, tug of war and track-and-field.

Vietnam Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Manh Dong emphasized that the event aimed for an united student community in the RoK.

Badminton star Cuong victorious at Youth Olympics

Vietnamese badminton player Pham Cao Cuong defeated Petrovic Dragoslav (Serbia) 2-0 at the second Youth Olympic Games in Najing City, China on August 18.

The first set was evenly matched and the lead went back and forth throughout. It ended 24-22 in favour of Cuong.

The Vietnamese player dominated the second set trouncing his Serbian rival 21-11.

Cao Cuong faces Aditya Joshi from India in the next match competing for the top position of group D.

At the Youth Olympic Games, athletes in men’s singles are divided into eight groups, four athletes each. They compete in a round robin format. The leading position in each group enters the quarter-finals.

On the same day, Tran Duy Khoi placed fifth in the qualifying round in men’s 200m medley of swimming event after clocking 2’04’’56.

Duan keeps hold of yellow jersey

Le Van Duan won the fifth stage and retained the yellow jersey at the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta Cycling Tour yesterday.

Duan from HCM City completed the 130km stage from Rach Gia City to Ca Mau in a time of 3:27.21 at an average speed of 37.618 kmh. Nguyen Truong Tai of Domesco Pharmacy Dong Thap and Tran Van Quyen of the Miliatary Zone 7 came second and third.

Duan holds the fastest overall time of 13:44.03 after five stages, followed by Do Tuan Anh of Domesco Pharmacy Dong Thap and Nguyen Thanh Tam of Hat Ngoc Troi Rice.

Duan also has the green jersey as best sprinter with 108 points.

In the team rankings, Dong Thap took the lead with a time of 41:13.57, followed by ADC-Vinh Long Television and Hat Ngoc Troi Rice.

Today, cyclists will compete along the 117km stage from Ca Mau to Soc Trang City.

Vien pulls out of butterfly finals

Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, Viet Nam's top female swimmer, pulled out of the final round of the women's 200mbutterfly event during the Second Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing City, China yesterday.

Vien placed third in heat four with a time of 2min 13.9sec and ranked eighth among the finalists. Her coach, Dang Anh Tuan, said the qualifying round result showed that Vien had no chance to win a medal in the event.

"So we allowed her to withdraw, to enable her to remain in shape for the 200m backstroke and 800m freestyle competitions tomorrow," Tuan said.

On Sunday, the teenager won a gold medal in the women's 200m individual medley category with a time of 2:12.66. This helped her become the first Vietnamese athlete to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil.