VietNamNet Bridge - It’s Saturday night in Vung Tau so the crowds are heading down to the track to put a flutter on the dogs, but will Duc Hanh have any luck?

The punters arrive

At seven in the evening, a throng of punters surges towards the entrance of Lam Son Stadium in Vung Tau. I manage to get one of the cheap seats, which costs just VND20,000, though for those who need air-con rooms and comfier seats tickets cost VND50,000 to VND80,000. When I finally get inside the grandstand is already packed with locals and plenty of tourists.

The air is filled with excitement and – above all else – expectation. It is race night and soon the greyhounds will be haring around the track and the roof will come off with shouts, roars and screams. I can’t wait. But first I need to make a bet. If you’re not in it, then you can’t win it, that’s what they say. I’m a total novice though so as every one scrambles off to watch the first race I’m left scratching my head wondering what to do. There is a computer system that provides information on the eight racing greyhounds and how to bet but I’m fumbling. I finally manage to pick a horse at random for the minimum cost of VND10,000.

And they’re off...

As the dogs sprint around the track, I cheer without knowing where my greyhound actually is. I’m standing beside Hung, a 46-year old local, who hasn’t won once on his previous three visits. “I am determined to recover my money,” he rasps as the greyhounds reach the halfway point. “The last time we came, we lost VND1.2 million,” moans his wife. “The time before that we lost VND600,000 but yet he still wants to gamble.

” “I checked out the dogs carefully. We’re going to win tonight,” he says with tension written all across his face. “Number 5 is going to win.” The pack of dogs pulls into the home stretch and much to Hung’s delight Number 5 comes out in front and crosses the line in first place; Hung and his wife jump for joy and whoop with delight. The win means they will pocket VND6 million.

But one man’s luck is another’s misfortune. As Hung and his wife head off to collect their winnings I meet my friend who is slumped by the wall. “The greyhounds just bit a chunk out of my wallet,” he says. “I lost VND400,000.”

Stadium of Dreams

Lam Son Stadium in Vung Tau was a formerly used for football before the 6,000 seat arena was renovated. An additional three level grandstand was developed with a capacity of 3,000. An AWA Atlas Totalistic Computer system was also installed at the stadium with a total of 38 betting terminals. The ceremonial ribbon was snipped in May 2000, signalling the official introduction of greyhound racing to Vietnam.

It was also the culmination of a dream for Nguyen Ngoc My. When My arrived in Australia as a refugee in 1976, his family endured some tough times while trying to establish a new life in a new country with no financial backing whatsoever. His family managed to set up a construction business that grew steadily over the next 20 years. As his family’s fortunes improved, My started to go to the dogtracks on New South Wales South Coast as well as at Wentworth Park. His passion for the sport grew to the extent that eventually he became an owner and was associated with some of the top trainers during that time.

“My success as an owner was limited but still the passion remained,” he recalls. “Like most owners I developed what I considered to be a deep and thorough understanding of all matters related to greyhound racing, knowledge that would be later tested as the Vietnam project evolved.” The concept was pursued through various avenues and discussions with a number of people both in Australia and Vietnam.

But the breakthrough really occurred in 1993 when prominent members of the Ba Ria Vung Tau Peoples’ Committee displayed sufficient interest in the concept to allow a formal application to be submitted. In the end the licensing process would take another six years. “The introduction of a sport with associated gambling or betting was never going to be easy.

The licensing process required careful consideration by many people and committees, all of whom required an understanding of the sport, the objectives of the company and the benefits to Vietnam (as a minimum) before forming their conclusions.” Finally, a 25-year license was granted to Sports and Entertainment Services Ltd to operate a greyhound racing track (and also go-kart racing and motor cross course) in 1999. The license included the rights to conduct totalistic betting on greyhound racing.

The license was ratified by the Central Government that same year. The Ba Ria- Vung Tau People’s Committee, through its tourist organisation, (Ba Ria- Vung Tau Tourist Corporation Ltd) was the province to first embrace the idea of introducing greyhound racing as a way of increasing tourism in the area. Tapping great potential According to Ho Van Nien, Deputy Chairman of Ba Ria- Vung Tau People’s Committee, the number of visitors coming to the seaside city on Saturday increased by 30 to 50 per cent since the greyhound races started. Most visitors come from neighbouring cities and provinces such as Ho Chi Minh City or Bien Hoa city.

“I am pleased to report that the local Vietnamese have embraced greyhound racing with similar passion to that of other countries which host the sport,” says My. Besides the race track, My’s company has also invested in a greyhound farm and a special complex on Vo Thi Sau street in Vung Tau. This facility covers 10 hectares and was designed to allow the imported greyhounds sufficient space to move about freely as well as providing the necessary training facilities.

The first 200 greyhounds were imported from Australia, but the company now has more than 700 and 100 puppies. “Vietnam has professional greyhound farms up to international standards and cheap labour,” explains My, before adding that if Vietnamese greyhounds were half as cheap as Australian ones then “we can compete with Australian companies in exporting greyhounds.” With a population of just 20.3m people, Australia has 89 greyhound racing stadiums. Greyhound racing and breeding is big business there. While dog racing culture is new to Vietnam, the success of Lam Son dogtrack would indicate that it has real potential here.

In the region, only China and Vietnam have greyhound race tracks, so greyhound racing could even help boost tourism in Vung Tau in particular and southern Vietnam in general. Greyhound racing, breeding and training greyhounds can also create jobs in the locale. “It is time to move on and continue to develop a network of greyhound tracks throughout Vietnam,” says My. Wheels are already in motion.

Currently a network of seven greyhound tracks throughout Vietnam is being planned. There are also plans to set up an enterprise to produce food for greyhounds and a factory to manufacture cages for racing. Nguyen Ngoc My is also the chairman of Indochina Racing and Entertainment, which has been granted a 30-year license for the development of greyhound racing in Cambodia and a facility has already been identified in Phnom Penh.

(Source: Time-out)