Shooting team aims for Olympic Games
The Vietnamese shooting team is busy preparing for the 27th SEA Games in Myanmar in late 2013, as well as the Olympic Games in 2016.
Head coach Nguyen Thi Nhung said on February 21 that the Vietnamese squad will attend four major international competitions, including the ISSF World Cup in Changwon, the Republic of Korea (RoK) from April 1-10, in the hope of bagging at least one medal.
All sharpshooters have been summoned for training in Hanoi.
Sparta Prague goalie to join Vietnam’s national squad
The 1992 Czech-Vietnamese goalkeeper of Sparta Prague Filip Nguyen has wished to perform for the Vietnamese national football team, like his former teammate striker Mac Hong Quan.
Nguyen and Quan played together from 2005 to July, 2012 in the youth and B squads of Sparta Prague. Later Quan refused to renew his contract with the club and has returned to Vietnam.
The 1m90 goalie has already fulfilled all necessary formalities, hoping to join the national squad soon.
Quan once played for the U16 Czech team, but Nguyen has been recognized as one of five best Sparta Prague goalkeepers.
Xuan Thanh ready to rumble
Tran Tien Dai, the charismatic managing director of Xuan Thanh Sai Gon Cement is wary of the threat posed by SHB Da Nang, his team’s opponents tomorrow in the prestigious Super Cup.
However, his players will enter the tie confident of causing an upset against the V-League champions, having already surprised many by winning the National Cup last season in their first attempt.
“Da Nang have a stronger team than us and will have the home ground advantage on Saturday. But we have prepared well and are ready to win,” Dai declared.
Da Nang twice overcame Xuan Thanh in the league last year and on paper they have the more talented squad, with high quality players such as striker Gastol Merlo and national team members Huynh Quoc Anh and Pham Nguyen Sa among their ranks.
In a bid to prepare for the challenge, Xuan Thanh coach Lu Dinh Tuan summoned his players earlier this month to take part in an intensive training regime in Hue City, which as a neighbour to Da Nang shares a similar climate.
Tuan has been backed in the transfer market by the club’s new owners, and he has invested in the team by signing Candelario Gomez to partner Suleiman Abdullahi up front.
Defender Doan Viet Cuong has also officially joined along with midfielder Van Sang, signed from An Giang.
“This season, Xuan Thanh will have to be ready to compete in three tournaments. We have targeted finishing in the V-League top three, reaching the AFC Cup semi-finals and successfully defending our National Cup title. But our top priority for now is winning the Super Cup,” said Tuan.
The Super Cup is a match played every year between the league and cup champions to mark the beginning of the new football season.
Should they win, Xuan Thanh will become the ninth different team to lift the trophy in the 14 years since it became part of the football calendar.
The Super Cup match will be aired live on VTV channels. The winner will walk away with VND200 million (US$9,600).
VNN/VOV/VNS