Vietnamese footballer added to Guardian's top 40 list

Phan Thanh Hau (No. 11) was rated higher than Cong Phuong (No. 10).

Midfielder Phan Thanh Hau from Viet Nam's national U19 football team has been named in the list of top 40 young talents in world football, according to the UK's The Guardian newspaper.

"Phan Thanh Hau is the heartbeat of their midfield, always available and ready to spray passes short and long and to use a deft first touch to create space for a lovely left-foot to prise open opposition defences," the newspaper reported.

"He currently plays for an academy in his homeland built by Arsenal JMG Academy and a Vietnamese company. His next move is either to the V-League or Europe."

The 17-year-old Hau is a key player in the U19 team, and performed outstandingly in the final round of the U19 AFC 2014.

VN U19s beat Kyoto Sanga

Viet Nam's national football team beat J-League 2's Kyoto Sanga 4-3 in their third friendly match in Japan yesterday.

It was Viet Nam's only win during their 20-day training course at the Sakai National Training Centre in Osaka in preparation for the ASEAN Football Federation Cup.

They lost their first match to a Japanese student team 3-1, and went down 5-1 in a friendly against J-League 1 side Vissel Kobe.

The team will return home today.

Flag-raising ceremony welcomes Vietnamese athletes to 2nd Asian Para Games

The Vietnamese delegation to the 2nd Asian Para Games took part in the flag-raising ceremony at Flag Plaza Square on October 15, officially marking their presence in Incheon in the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Vu The Phiet, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Vietnam Paralympic Association, said the event was part of the important ceremonies attended by all the delegations to the games. It motivated the Vietnamese athletes and boosted their confidence and determination to help them overcome their difficulties and succeed in the competition.

All 69 members of the team completed registration that day and settled into the athletes’ village. They are assisted by a team of volunteers from the host country to help them get around the sports complex and manage their daily routines.

The athletes from six teams, including athletics, swimming, weightlifting, badminton and bowling, continue their training until October 17, and take part in medical check-ups and internal meetings before officially competing in the games.

The 2nd Asian Para Games will take place in Incheon, ROK from October 18-24, with the participation of 4,500 athletes from 41 countries.

Thai wins fourth cycling stage

Phan Hoang Thai of Domesco Pharmacy Dong Thap beat his teammate Le Ngoc Son to win the fourth stage of the Nam Ky Khoi Nghia cycling tour yesterday.

Nguyen Thanh Tam of Gao Hat Ngoc Troi finished third.

Thai took the stage victory with a time of 3:19.58 and average speed of 33.6 km/h over the 112km stage from Phan Rang-Thap Cham to Da Lat.

Huynh Mai Duy of HCM City finished eighth in the stage, but retained the yellow jersey with the best overall time of 14:06.49 after four stages.

Le Van Dong of VTV Can Tho, holds the green jersey as best sprinter with 32 points, followed by Nguyen Truong Tai of Dong Thap (29) and Tam (25).

VTV Can Tho lead the team rankings with a time of 42:42.03.

This morning, cyclists will compete over a 51km stage around Ho Xuan Huong Lake in Da Lat.

Ha Noi to host martial arts festival

More than 60 teams will participate in the 30th Traditional Martial Arts Festival Ha Noi Open, which will be held from November 14 to 16 at the Cau Giay Gymnasium in Cau Giay District.

The fighters will use their bare hands and weapons to participate in singles, doubles and team events. Dragon dances will also be performed during the festival.

More than 250 sets of medals will be awarded to the winners at the event, which is one of the key annual activities of the Ha Noi Martial Arts.

Montgomerie Links on the tee

More than 100 golfers will compete in the fourth Montgomerie Links Comes to Ha Noi tournament at the Sky Lake Resort and Golf Club on November 7.

The event's organising committee said the annual tournament of the Montgomerie Links aims to provide interesting competition for the club's members and golfers in the northern region.

The organising committee will award the Best Gross title to the champion of the one-day event, and other prizes in categories that include Nearest The Pin Hole, Longest Drive, the first and runners-up handicap and Callaway Divisions.