Vietnam faces fierce competition at Davis Cup 2014

Hoang Nam and Hoang Thien.

Talented Vietnamese tennis players Hoang Nam and Hoang Thien will meet the international top ten seeds Pakistan at the 2014 Asia-Pacific Davis Cup tie in Da Lat next month.

Nam and Thien will battle against 34-year-old Asiam Qureshi, Pakistan’s highest ranked player and a third round qualifier at the 2014 Australian Open. Qureshi has impressed at a series of international tournaments and is currently part of the doubles duo ranked 15th in the world.

Hoang Nam’s recent career highlights include a gold medal at the Asian Junior ITF Group 2 Championships in Thailand and a semifinal finish at the ITF Copa Gatorade in Venezuela.

His teammate Hoang Thien is also considered one of ’Vietnam's most promising young tennis talents.

Marathon runner to raise funds for heart disease

SEA Games gold medallist Pham Thi Binh is to take part in a charity marathon to aid children suffering from heart disease.

Binh, who was also a heart-disease victim, said she will encourage other athletes to join the event in Quang Ngai Province, which is expected to be organized after the Tet holiday in mid-February.

All cash collected will be donated to the Fund for Little Hearts, which four years ago supported Binh during her successful heart surgery.

Binh has returned to elite competition and recorded remarkable achievements since then.

The athlete is now preparing for the Asian Games, to be held this coming September in South Korea.