2013 National track-and-field championships begins

Five hundred athletes from 48 teams across the country are involved in the 2013 national track-and-field championships which opened in Hanoi on September 22.

Those coming from the Army, Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, Vinh Long, Nam Dinh, Danang, An Giang and Khanh Hoa are the most hopeful for 50 sets of medals.

On the first day of competition, Tang Van Hai (Vinh Long) won a gold medal with his 50m29 hammer throw. Hanoi took the lead in the women’s 4x800m relay and Dak Lak in the men’s 4x800m relay.

Dao Xuan Cuong (Hanoi) grabbed a gold medal in the men’s 400m hurdling clocked at 51”89.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuc (Danang) retained her champion title in the women’s 20km walk with a record of 1h44’41”. In the men’s 20km walk, Thanh Ngung (Danang) clinched a gold medal, clocked at 1h37’16”.

Bui The Anh (Army) and Pham Thi Binh (Quang Ngai) topped the list of the men’s and women’s marathon events, clocked at 2h39’18” and 2h54’47”, respectively.

The tournament, expected to select the best athletes in preparation for the 27th SEA Games in Myanmar, will last until September 25.

Hanoi dominates 2013 National Canoeing Champs

Host Hanoi ranked first in the medal tally of the 2013 National Canoeing Championships, which concluded on September 22.

The host team won 14 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze medals, followed by Binh Thuan with 7 gold, 1 silver and 5 bronze medals.

Thai Nguyen came third with 4 gold medals, leaving behind Hai Phong and Vinh Phuc – both achieving three gold medals.

This year’s championships were participated by 158 racers from 19 teams nationwide who competed in canoeing and kayak categories ranging between 200m-1,000m.

U23 team beats Reac Sportiskola’s U21 team 6-0

Vietnam's U23 team has dominated its friendly match against Reac Sportiskola’s U21 team, winning their Hungary training match 6-0.

Midfielder Tran Manh Hung scored the first goal only seven minutes into the match. Ha Minh Tuan and Van Thang added their own contributions in the 31st and 41st minute respectively. Vietnam finished the first half with a 3-0 lead.

Coach Hoang Van Phuc rotated nine players through the lineup for the second half.  Midfielder Que Ngoc Hai scored in the 50th minute, his first goal since joining the U23 team, and Ngan Van Dai and Hoang Danh Ngoc scored again in the 51st and 68th minutes.

Vietnam’s U23 team will play another match in Hungary on September 22 before returning home for two matches at HCM City’s Thong Nhat Stadium.

300 athletes compete for Hanoi table tennis cup

Nearly 300 amateur and professional table tennis players from 60 teams across the country will be competing for the Hanoi Moi (New Hanoi) Newspaper Cup from September 19-22.

They will play in the men’s, women’s and doubles divisions regardless of their age.

National players Dinh Quang Linh, Duong Van Nam, Le Tien Dat, Tran Tuan Quynh, Phan Huy Hoang, Nguyen Ngoc Tu, Pham Thanh Son and Le Tuan Anh, will participate in the professional division.   

Men’s single finals will be broadcast live on Hanoi Television on September 22.

The tournament is sponsored by Vingroup, the Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (Agribank), Vietnam Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank), Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) and Xiom Sports.

This is the second time Hanoi Moi Newspaper has organized the table tennis cup to mark the capital city’s 59th Liberation Day (October 10).

Hanoi Moi Editor-in-chief To Quang Phan reveals the tournament has a total prize value of VND110 million, and next year’s event will see the participation of foreign players.

Athletes set records at nationals

Three records were set yesterday at the ongoing National Athletics Championships at Thong Nhat Stadium in HCM City.

Pham Van Lam of Ha Noi set a new best in men's long jump with a 7.73m jump, while earlier, Nam Dinh clocked a new record in the men's 4x200m relay at 1min 25.34sec.

Day 1 saw the return of Southeast Asian sprint queen Vu Thi Huong after a brief hiatus from early this year.

Huong stamped her dominance at the event earning gold and setting a record with her An Giang teammates in the women's 4x200m relay event, timing 1:36.25.

The tournament attracted more than 500 athletes from 48 cities and provinces with few of the nation's top athletes present.

Asian 800m champion Truong Thanh Hang is yet to recover from a broken leg, while rising star Quach Thi Lan and her younger brother are undergoing intensive training in Bulgaria.

The competition will conclude on Wednesday.

Teams announced for BTV comp

Ha Noi T&T, Thanh Hoa, Viet Nam Under-23s and hosts Becamex Binh Duong will take part in the Binh Duong Television (BTV) Football Tournament from October 25 to November 3.

There will be three foreign teams from Asia - Kawasaki Frontale of Japan, South Korean students and Kelantan FA of Malaysia – as well as Bangu AC of Brazil.

Teams will be divided into two groups, playing in a round robin format, with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals.

VN gymnasts set for worlds

Viet Nam will take part in the upcoming World Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium from September 30-October 6.

More than 430 athletes from 71 countries and territories will compete in individual and team events.

Viet Nam will have seven representatives, six of them men. World Cup winner Nguyen Ha Thanh will shoulder heavy duty in men's vault, high bar and parallel bars.

Thanh pocketed a vault gold medal at the Grand Prix Osijek earlier this week and a parallel title at the last World Cup.

Phan Thi Ha Thanh, the world bronze medallist, will compete in all categories for women, defending her position in the top three of the vault event.

Martial artist ready for Europe

Martial arts coach Nguyen Van Canh will participate in the Son Long Martial School Festival in France between October 9-14, according to the Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts Centre.

Canh, who has finished two-month training at the martial arts school in European and African countries, will perform in the martial arts festival.

The European-based Son Long School, founded by Master Nguyen Duc Moc in France in the late 1940s, has since developed schools in Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Austria, France, Algeria and Burkina Faso.

VN U16 squad prepared for Asian qualification contest

 (VNS) Viet Nam's Under-16 team is ready for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-16 qualifying round at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from September 23-30.

The team, which has been training hard at the youth training centre for five weeks, is expected to have a hard time making the grade as it falls into Group J with Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines.

Coach Dinh Van Dung's players will play the first game against Indonesia next Wednesday. Two days later, Japan will be their opponent in the second match – and then the Philippines in the last match next Sunday.