First martial arts academy opens

Bao Long Martial Arts School, Vietnam's very first martial arts academy will open its doors in the northern province of Ha Tay on Saturday.

The school belongs to the Bao Long Medicine and Pharmacy Corporation. Talented students between the ages of 10-12 will be taught culture through the Ministry of Education and Training's programme, along with martial arts and medicine.

Chosen students will receive a 50% discount on their school fees.

Table tennis goes postal

Khanh Hoa and the HCM City Post Office both won titles at the National Table Tennis Championship on Tuesday.

The Khanh Hoa team beat Hanoi 3-1 in the men's match, while HCM City Post Office defeated Army with the same score of 3-1 in the women's match.

Seventy-two players from 11 teams convened in the coastal city of Nha Trang to compete in the tournament.

The event is considered to be the final examination of Vietnamese table-tennis players before the 24th Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December.

Athletes are playing in four categories - men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles and women's doubles - in the four-day tournament, which will wrap up today.

Vietnamese dance toward Thailand

Two couples, who have won gold medals at the National Dance Sport Championships, will represent Vietnam in the Asian Indoor Games 2 in Macao this month, competing in Latin and standard dance sections.

The couples are Chi Anh, Khanh Thi (Latin) and Hong Viet, Thu Trang (standard). They are all from Hanoi, and their excellent performances helped Hanoi finish top the boards at the national championships.

Both couples have had training sessions abroad. The Asian Indoor Games 2 will be a good chance for them to prepare for the 24th Southeast Asian Games Thailand this December.

Africa replaces Thailand in Cup

Thailand officially withdrew from the Agribank Cup 2007. A team from Africa will replace Thailand in the tournament, announced the Viet Nam Football Development Joint Stock Company (VFD).

Thailand got out of the event, citing the need to focus on the 2010 World Cup qualifying round.

The name of African football team has yet to be unveiled, but according to the VFD it will be a U23 team.

Presently, the Viet Nam Football Federation hasn't decided on whether the national team or the Viet Nam Olympics team will take part in Agribank Cup 2007, to be held in Hanoi's My Dinh National Stadium on November 1-5.

(Source: Viet Nam News)