Taekwondo athletes train in France

Vietnam's national taekwondo team left for France in late March to prepare for the Beijing Olympics in China this August.

Artists Hoang Ha Giang, Nguyen Van Hung and Nguyen Hoai Thu, who own Olympic tickets, will practise with athletes from the French team at the Insep Centre while taking part in friendly matches with other local teams.

This will be a good chance for Vietnamese athletes to test their abilities and learn performing styles from their European counterparts. They will return to Vietnam to participate at the Asian Taekwondo Championships in China prior to the Olympics.

HCM City to defend badminton title

HCM City's badminton team will defend their title against some strong teams without their top players at the National Badminton Teams Championship.

The second tournament will not see the city's national leading players, including Nguyen Tien Minh, Nguyen Quang Minh and Thanh Hai, all of whom will be absent for different reasons.

The reigning team will put their faith in youngster such as Duong Bao Duc, Pham Cao Hieu and Nguyen Hoang Nam.

The tournament will be held at the Bac Ninh Sports and Physical Training College from April 6 to 13, with eight teams participating.

The teams will be divided two groups and will compete in a round-robin format to select the two best to enter the semi-finals.

Three wrestlers face life bans

Three wrestlers Nguyen Dinh Nam, Nguyen Ba Phong and Nguyen Doan Dung are facing permanent suspension from the sport, in a decision by the sport's officials made last week.

The three athletes defected, running away at the Incheon airport in South Korea on Monday after finishing the Asian Wrestling Championship.

Nguyen Ngoc Anh of the Viet Nam Sport and Physical Training Administration said the final decision would be made after the report was sent to leading and local officials.

In 1996, two athletes defected in Russia as did two other wrestlers in South Korea six years later.

An, Tu head to World Chess Cup

Vietnamese Grand Master Nguyen Thi Thanh An and FIDE master Le Thanh Tu secured tickets to take part in the World Women's Chess Cup, which will be organised in Argentina in June.

Tu took her ticket thanks to her great performance at last year's tournament, where she triumphed at the 2007 World Chess Championship qualifiers (zone 3.3). An will be entering the tournament after grabbing the bronze medal at the Asian Chess Championship.

(Source: Viet Nam News)