Ha Noi postpones World Sepak Takraw tourney

HA NOI — The World Sepak Takraw Championship that had been scheduled to take place in Ha Noi next month have been delayed.

According to Nguyen Xuan Hanh, the head of the Viet Nam Sepak Takraw Department, the tournament was postponed because an international competition will be held in South Korea during the same time period.

The Vietnamese organisers were worried that the lack of participation would lead to a mediocre tournament. Viet Nam has also not been able to raise enough funds for the tournament.

The new date for the world championship has yet to be decided.

The Vietnamese national team, which include 22 members, gathered together yesterday to prepare for this year's events.

The team will take part in the Viet Nam Clubs Sepak Takraw Open which will be in October. The team is preparing to head to Guangzhou's 16th Asian Games to defend their two gold medals that they won four years ago.

Viet Nam to compete at Chess Olympiad

HA NOI — Viet Nam will participate in the international chess tournament, Olympiad 2010, which will kick off in Khanty Mansiysk, Russia, from September 9 to October 4.

The Vietnamese team will include International Grand Masters Le Quang Liem who triumphed at the Aeroflot Open last month, Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son and Dao Thien Hai.

The International Chess Federation predicts that 1,000 masters, men and women, from 135 countries and territories will join the tournament.

All-Stars Table Tennis Open to be held in Ha Noi

HA NOI — The 2010 National All-stars Table Tennis Open is to be held at the Hoang Mai Gymnasium in Ha Noi from March 3-7.

As many as 20 men's and women's teams, who were selected by the 2009 National Table Tennis Championships – Nhan Dan Newspaper Cup, and around 600 amateur athletes will compete in seven categories at the tournament.

This is the first time that the Viet Nam Table Tennis Federation, in co-ordination with the Ha Noi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will organise a national table tennis tournament for both professional and amateur athletes. — VNS