The Mascot of the 25th SEA Games in the year 2009

The Mascot of the 25^th SEA Games in the year 2009 is white elephants with sapphire tusk which are existing animals in Laos for a long time. Male elephant called Champa and female elephant called Champi. Both elephants dress up with beautiful Lao national clothes and being full of happy and smiling faces and eyes. This is an important part to make sport competition joyful and lively. More importantly, it is expressing warm welcome feeling of Lao PDR as the host country for the 25^th SEA Games.

from: http://www.laosoc.com/mascots.htm

SEA Games body starts screening of athletes for Laos

The Philippine Southeast Asian (SEA) Games Technical Committee will begin scrutinizing the records of the candidate athletes for the 2009 regional games slated later this year in Vientiane, Laos.

SEA Games Chef de Mission and technical committee head Mario Tanchangco said screening starts at 10 a.m. on Thursday at the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) office in Philsports Complex in Pasig with combat sports judo, karate, pencat silat, tae kwon do, muay and wushu comprising the first batch.

“After a series of positive meeting with the PSC [Philippine Sports Commission] led by Chairman Harry Angping, POC President Jose Cojuangco ordered us to screen the initial list of candidate athletes so we can came out with a ball park figure of the team’s composition,” said Tanchangco, president of the Philippine Amateur Sepak Takraw Association.

Other members of the committee are Efren Binag of table tennis, Dave Carter of judo, Julian Camacho of wushu and some representatives of the PSC.

“When we’re done with this one-on-one meeting with the national sports associations, we can give PSC a number for them to have an idea on how many athletes will comprise our delegation,” added Tanchangco.

The committee is tasked to analyze the past records of a certain athlete endorsed by their respective national sports association.

Tanchangco stressed that only those athletes who are capable of landing in the podium can qualify for in the national team bound for Laos.

“We are sending a lean but mean team. We will be stricter this time to make sure that all athletes are competent enough before going to Laos. If there are many qualified athletes, then so be it,” he said.

The PSC has earlier allotted P30-million budget for the country’s participation in the biennial meet. --

from: http://www.yehey.com/

SEA Games facilities not ready

ORGANIZERS of the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos, which will be hosting the games for the first time, said they need at least two more months to complete the construction of the venues and other facilities.

This was according to Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of the 25th SEA Games Organizing Committee Somsavat Lengsavad and senior LNSC officials following an ocular inspection they conducted on the main stadium, the golf course, the main access roads and the Athletes’ Village.

Work was supposed to be finished by March, but according to the Games’ official Web site, the Chinese and Korean companies involved in the construction work are having a difficult time completing the job at the main venue in the Saythany district.

The foreign contractors said the delay was caused by several factors, one of which is the dry summer season, which is not suitable for growing grass inside the football stadium. The grass will only be planted in June, which is the start of the rainy season.

Also, the land around the golf course have yet to be cleared because “some people have yet to leave their homes to make way for the construction.”

Lao Golf Federation president Songkham Silaphets said the course would be completed in May, “as long as plans don’t change.”

Meanwhile, the access road is reportedly 75 percent complete and will be landscaped by May, while engineers from the two companies said it is also difficult to dig drainage channels and install electricity around the main stadium and other venues, prompting Somsavat to ask the Ministry of Public Works and Transport committee to cooperate with the contractors regarding these problems.

More than 400 Lao workers are involved in the construction at a cost of more than $100 million.

A ceremony to hand over the stadium to the Lao government will take place in September.

The 25 events of the 2009 SEA Games to be held in Vientiane in December will be scattered around the eight stadiums. Peter Atencio

from: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=homepage

Karate coach suffers early blow ahead of SEA Games

PETALING JAYA: Karate coach P. Arivalagan has received an early setback in preparing exponents to defend the SEA Games overall title in Laos in December.

Arivalagan has been forced to leave out Pavitern Prataban from the training squad. The exponent for the above 80kg kumite event torn a ligament in his left knee during a training stint in Japan last week and will be out for six months.

The 18-year-old Sukma (Malaysia Games) gold medallist in Terengganu last year was the only exponent from the back-up squad to be promoted to the senior ranks this year. Last month, Pavitern took silver in the Hong Kong Open.

Although Pavitern is expected to return to training before the Laos Games, Arivalagan said that he was leaving him out of the team.

“He needs about three months to be ready for competition. We would have gone through the intensive training period when he returns and it would be difficult for him to catch up,” he said.

“Pavitern was one of the better ones from the junior ranks and I had wanted to include him for the Asian Martial Arts Games in Bangkok (now postponed because of the political turmoil in Thailand). But this is a serious injury and I had to exclude him.”

Arivalagan added that he would be looking at another back-up exponent, G. Nagatheeban, as the replacement.

“I have him in my mind and I will evaluate his performances in competitions before making a decision,” he said.

The national championships will be in June while the KOI World Cup will be held in Sarawak the following month.

At the 2007 SEA Games in Korat, Malaysia emerged as overall champions with eight gold medals.

from: http://thestar.com.my/

Volleyball seeks redemption in SEA Games

THE national women’s indoor volleyball team wants to come back strong in the 25th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games slated later this year in Vientiane, Laos.

The Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF) national coach Thelma Barina-Rojas is seeking for a fruitful return after failing to compete in the 24th edition in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand two years ago.

Barina-Rojas, the former SEA Games best spiker and Most Valuable Player, disclosed that the reigning champion Thailand is still the force to reckon with.

“We will be fighting for silver medal. The Thais have had years of preparation. They are well-experienced having competed in some of the world’s prestigious tournaments,” said Barina-Rojas, a member of the champion team in the 1993 Singapore SEA Games.

The PVF decided not to send a squad in the men’s and women’s indoor volleyball competitions due to retirement of veteran players.

The last time the Philippines participated in indoor volleyball was in 2005 Manila Games where the Filipina spikers placed third behind Thailand and Vietnam.

“It’s really a tall order to beat Thailand. It’s going to be a big challenge because majority of the players are 20 years old and below but we are optimistic,” added Barina-Rojas.

The national team is composed of Mary Jean Balse, Michiko Castañeda, Dahlia Cruz, Rubie de Leon, Raysabelle Deva­nadera, Rhea Dimaculangan, Juwelyn Gonzaga, Nasella Gulliman, Cathy Kwan, Lawrence Ann Latigay, Lilet Mabbayad, Aiza Maizo, Mi­kaela Morada, Maika Angela Ortiz, Aeriel Patnongon, Princess Pido, Suzanne Roces, Aleona Santiago, Ma. Angeli Tabaquero, Alysa Valdez, Cindy Velasquez, Charmaine Velez, and Venus Bernal.

from: http://www.yehey.com/sports/

Vietnam pledges assistance to Laos' 25th SEA Games

Vientiane (VNA) – Vietnam will send equipments for competition houses and provide technical assistance to help Laos prepare for the organisation of the 25 th SEA Games, scheduled for December.

The pledge was made meetings between Vietnamese sports experts and Lao colleagues regarding cooperation in the organisation of Southeast Asia’s largest sports event.

The Vietnamese experts, led by Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee Hoang Vinh Giang, also shared with Lao officials practical experiences from the organisation of the 23 rd SEA Games in 2007. (VNA)

from: enews.mcot.net

Nurdin Sesumbar Sepakbola SEA Games 2009 Sumbang Emas

Dengan dalih prestasi timnas U-23 dalam tiga tahun terakhir membaik, ketua umum PSSI Nurdin Halid sesumbar merebut medali emas di SEA Games 2009.

Oleh Yuslan Kisra

Ketua umum PSSI Nurdin Halid [foto] kembali mengeluarkan pernyataan kontroversi, terkait capaian timnas U-23 di ajang SEA Games 2009 yang sesuai rencana digelar di Laos akhir tahun ini.

Menurutnya, dengan melihat tren yang dicapai timnas U-23 Indonesia dalam beberapa tahun terakhir, dirinya memastikan bisa meraih medali emas di ajang multi event tersebut.

Dikatakan Nurdin, target meraih medali emas adalah hal yang sangat realistis. Dan hal itu lanjutnya, sangat mungkin untuk bisa dicapai, mengingat perkembangan yang dicapai tim junior Merah Putih.

"Saya optimis medali emas di SEA Games nanti bisa dicapai. Sebab, timnas U-23 kita telah mengalami peningkatan dalam tiga tahun terakhir," koar Nurdin dihubungi wartawan, Minggu (5/4).

Sesumbar Nurdin ini tampaknya masih harus dibuktikan. Sebab, dalam beberapa tahun terakhir, justru sepakbola nasional sudah tertinggal jauh dari Thailand dan Singapura.

Bahkan, Vietnam yang sebelumnya selalu menjadi bulan-bulanan Indonesia, sudah sulit dikalahkan. Karena itu, cukup mengherankan jika Nurdin menyebut prestasi timnas junior dalam tiga tahun terakhir membaik.

from: www.goal.com

Duet Penyerang PSMS Berpeluang Masuk Pelatnas

Duet penyerang muda PSMS Medan, Andhika Yudhistira (23 tahun) dan Oktavianus “Okto” Maniani (20 tahun) berpeluang masuk pemusatan latihan nasional (pelatnas) tim nasional Indonesia U-23 SEA Games 2009 Laos.

Setelah diliburkan, sesuai rencana pelatnas akan kembali digelar di Palembang pada Senin, 18 Mei 2009, mendatang tetap di Palembang.

“Pelatnas mungkin akan kembali digelar mulai Senin. Saat ini, pelatih didampingi manajer tim sedang memantau pemain. Jadi tidak menutup kemungkinan akan dilakukan penambahan pemain,” ujar Wakil Ketua Badan Tim Nasional (BTN), Hamka B Kadi, kepada wartawan GOSport, Artha Tidar.

Kabar ketertarikan timnas Indonesia untuk merekrut Andhika dan Okto, disampaikan langsung oleh pelatih kepala timnas U-23 Indonesia, Cesar Payovich Perez. Ketertarikan Cesar dimulai sejak dua pemain ini tampil menjamu wakil Maladewa, VB Sport di lanjutan AFC Cup 2009.

Cesar saat ini kembali ke Uruguay, untuk mengatur manajemen kepelatihan timnas U-16 Indonesia yang tengah berlaga di Liga Junior Uruguay. Sedangkan untuk perekrutan pemain U-23, dia menyerahkan kepada asisten pelatihnya yang juga berkebangsaan Uruguay.

“Untuk kontrak pelatih, kami sudah menyetujui program yang diajukan Cesar. Tinggal membicarakan gaji. Saat ini dia sedang kembali ke Uruguay untuk mengatur tugas kepelatihan tim yang ada di sana. Karena dia masih menangani timnas U-16 SAD Indonesia, sehingga dia nanti bisa berkonsentrasi disini,” tambah Hamka.

Terkait biaya Pelatnas yang dibutuhkan PSSI untuk menyiapkan tim berlaga di SEA Games 2009, Hamka menjelaskan setidaknya membutuhkan dana Rp 7 miliar. Kendati Program Pelatnas saat ini terus berjalan, namun pihaknya hingga saat ini belum mengantongi dana Pelatnas dari pemerintah untuk SEA Games mendatang.

“Kamis (23 April 2009) lalu, kami mendapat surat dari KONI. Dalam surat tersebut disampaikan, hingga saat ini dana untuk pelatnas belum jelas berapa dari pemerintah. Kami tidak tahu sampai kapan kejelasannya. Yang pasti isi suratnya seperti itu,” kata Hamka.

Terkait anggaran yang diharapkan cair dari KONI, Hamka menjelaskan pihaknya akan mengajukan semuanya. Andai dana yang akan disetujui tersebut kurang dari rencana, maka pihaknya akan menyediakan sendiri.

“Jika misalnya hanya turun Rp 2 miliar, berarti kami harus menambah Rp 5 miliar. Di luar semua masalah ini, yang penting pelatnas harus tetap berjalan,” tandasnya.

The Successful Team Within You

If you're like most people you are basically happy with a few areas of your life and then there are the other areas that you just can't seem to make work. Whether it is finance or relationship, career or health, you have some areas that always seem to be what you need the most work on. You are grateful for the easy parts of your life and you do everything you can to make the other areas work, but how can you get everything to work on an even keel through the Law of Attraction and make life just one big easy journey?

Learning about the Law of Attraction and realizing how your thoughts and feelings make a huge difference in life seems like it will be an easy task. Think positive, you are told, and it all works out. But there is much more to it than that. When you begin to think positively the old repetitive mental patterns that you have grown accustomed to or that perhaps you're not even aware of, begin to pop up and stop you in your tracks. The conscious mind doesn't enjoy change. It's not that it is resistant to it; it's just used to a certain way and prefers you being on automatic pilot.

When you begin to change your beliefs and mental patterns you find that it isn't as easy as you thought it would be. Many people just go back to the life they were living thinking it is just too hard to fight the logical chattering of the mind. But once you begin to work on changing a mental pattern and catching yourself in changing it, it will eventually become the repetitive mental pattern you were looking for and life will change.

See yourself as a Successful Team within. When thinking about what works and doesn't work in your life take each part and see what you like about that particular area of your life. When you come across the harder areas start visualizing that it is a part of your life that works and see each part working together, tapping the same energy that is used for your easier areas of life.

Begin to see it all as working together with life chugging along ever so smoothly. When you are able to openly examine every area and realize it all can be as easy as you envision, your body, your consciousness, your subconscious, your core being within, and the Universe will work together to make sure it happens.

Work on those mental patterns you no longer need in your life and begin to see yourself as a well-oiled machine that understands and rides over every bump nice and easy along your journey. As you begin to see ease and to acknowledge ease in your life, those wonderful thoughts and feelings will attract back to you through the Law of Attraction. You are one Successful Team within. Now it's time to bring out your number one players and have them help the weaker players by uniting them as one team working toward an easy and more fulfilling life using the LOA.
Beth & Lee McCain

Beth and Lee McCain host a popular nationally syndicated weekly radio show called Radio LOA, publish the national LOA magazine, The Indicator, and teach the principles of the Law of Attraction at gatherings and seminars around the world. You are invited to visit Beth and Lee McCain Law of Attraction Web Site for more Law of Attraction information and free study materials.

Get to know Miss Lao SEA GAMES 2009

Close up with Miss Lao SEA GAMES and their preparation for the upcoming 25th SEA Games in Vientiane, Laos.



Sorry, the clip is in Lao language only !

Vietnam pledges assistance to Laos' 25th SEA Games

Vientiane (VNA) – Vietnam will send equipments for competition houses and provide technical assistance to help Laos prepare for the organisation of the 25 th SEA Games, scheduled for December.

The pledge was made meetings between Vietnamese sports experts and Lao colleagues regarding cooperation in the organisation of Southeast Asia’s largest sports event.

The Vietnamese experts, led by Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee Hoang Vinh Giang, also shared with Lao officials practical experiences from the organisation of the 23 rd SEA Games in 2007. (VNA)

Sepak takraw squad kicking along towards Laos SEA Games

Sepak takraw squad kicking along towards SEA Games

After intense competition, 42 sepak takraw athletes have been selected for tactics and skills training in preparation for 25th SEA Games in Vientiane in December.

The Lao Sepak Takraw Federation held a qualifying competition in Savannakhet province from April 3 to 5 to choose the best sepak takraw athletes from around the country.

Players selected for the games squad will continue their training at Savannahket's Sepak Takraw Centre.

There are no guarantees though, as only 36 male and female kickers will make the final cut.

Federation secretary Somsavath Phongsa said 60 athletes from six provinces participated in the competition.

Players represented the provinces of Borikhamxay, Khammuan, Savannakhet, Champassak and Vientiane , as well as capital.

“These activities are another opportunity for the federation to select the best sepak takraw players, after the eighth National Games held in Champassak province in December last year,” Mr Somsavath said.

After early setbacks, Savannakhet province took out Borikhamxay province 19-21, 21-18 and 17-16 in the final. In third place was Vientiane .

Borikhamxay province reversed its fortunes in the women's doubles competition, disposing of Vientiane province in two sets, 21-15 and 21-13. Savannakhet province was third.

It was an all-Savannakhet final in the men's singles, with a final scoreline of 21-19, 21-15. Third placed was Vientiane .

Borikhamxay province met Savannakhet province in the women's singles, taking the final 21-18 and21-15. Vientiane province took the last place on the podium.

Mr Somsavath said the choice of Savannakhet as the venue was no coincidence, as it had proved itself a hotbed of kicking talent.

“Savannakhet has more strong athletes than other provinces, so that is why the federation decided to gather 42 athletes in Savannakhet province after the competition,” Mr Somsavath said.

“I believe the sepak takraw federation is the first to gather athletes in another province, not here in Vientiane like so many of the federations participating in the SEA Games.”

The federation will whittle down the squad further, with the best 18 men and women to participate in the SEA Games at the end of this year.

Klik hier om een link te hebben waarmee u dit artikel later terug kunt lezen.World Snooker Championship Real 2009 (2009)

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Ten opzichte van de vorige versie zijn de grafics en details van zeer hoge kwaliteit.
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Deep Sea Game Fishing

by Owen Jones

Even though this term might make you think of ocean fishing, deep sea fishing refers to that which is performed in waters as large as or larger than lakes. Rivers and ponds are not “deep sea fishing” as the water is usually too shallow. Deep sea fishing is carried out in coastal waters where lots of large fish species make their home.

Open sea fishing necessitates a bigger boat for the operation in order to transport the catch and manoeuvre. Such a boat should have enough room for the fishing crew and also for the equipment needed to catch and store these big fish. Such a boat is intended to stand up to strong winds and bad weather at sea and to gain access to the fishing area safely and quickly.

The wide range of fish that are caught in deep sea fishing includes marlins, swordfish, sailfish, large tunas and various types of sharks. There are also smaller species of fish captured at the same time with these large ones. However, the former are not part of the plan. These come as by-catch or, if caught intentionally, they are meant to be turned into bait for the larger fishes.

Deep sea game fishing has been carried out in practically the same seas since the time that this occupation became established and later it developed into a business. It is performed in California, Florida, north of New Zealand, in Nova Scotia, Hawaii and so on. In those areas, the advantage the fishermen have is that large fish live close to the coasts and it does not take a long time to get to these places.

There are several techniques of deep sea game fishing of which the first we should mention is trolling, which is a form of angling performed by drawing a baited line through the water. The bait usually consists of squid or other small fish often used for bait and it is thrown into the sea off the rear of the boat. Deep sea game fishing boats have apiece of equipment called stabilizers or outriggers which enlarge the actual fish-catching area. Another technique is ‘chumming’ or ‘chunking’ which requires that large pieces of bait fish be thrown overboard in order to attract the larger. more desired species.

All in all, the scale of deep sea fishing has developed proportionally with the greater consumption of the market. Presently, various diets using fish dishes have actually become an epitome of healthy living and many people give up red meat for this lighter white variety.

About the Author:

Open Sea Fishing is more popular than ever as people want to reduce the amount of fat the ingest. Visit our website at: http://fishing.the-real-way.com .

Boaz Solossa, Top Scorer dan SEA Games

( Ditulis Oleh Luhur Satya Pambudi )

Boaz Solossa, penyerang timnas Indonesia yang memperkuat klub Persipura semakin garang dalam mencetak gol di Indonesia Super League (ISL). Hingga 26 pertandingan yang telah dilakoni Persipura, Boaz telah membuat 16 gol, sama dengan Alberto ’Beto’ Goncalves, rekan setimnya yang berasal dari Brasil. Raihan gol Boaz semakin mendekati Christian Gonzales (Persib) dengan 17 gol dan Ngon A.Djam (Sriwijaya FC) yang menjadi top scorer sementara ISL dengan 18 gol. Boaz kini menjadi penyerang lokal tersubur meninggalkan Bambang Pamungkas (Persija) yang baru mencetak 13 gol. Boaz memang lebih beruntung ketimbang BP. Persipura tidak terkena larangan bermain dari kepolisian Papua, sehingga timnya sudah 26 kali bermain. Sementara itu Persija -dan lebih banyak tim lainnya- dilarang menggelar pertandingan selama kampanye pemilu. Yang jelas Boaz sangat layak diunggulkan menjadi pencetak gol terbanyak ISL musim ini.

Di timnas senior Boaz telah dua kali bermain kembali, setelah lama absen karena cedera. Kendati belum mencetak gol, tapi kehadiran Boaz membawa warna baru bagi timnas yang meraih dua hasil imbang melawan Oman dan Australia di Pra Piala Asia bulan Januari 2009 lalu. Boaz juga dipanggil untuk memperkuat timnas U-23 yang akhir tahun nanti akan tampil di SEA Games Laos. Tahun 2009 merupakan kesempatan terakhir Boaz berlaga di pekan olahraga Asia Tenggara tersebut. Pemain kelahiran tahun 1986 itu sebenarnya bisa memperkuat timnas SEA Games tahun 2005 dan 2007, tapi selalu ada kendala menghadangnya. Setelah tampil cemerlang bersama timnas senior di Piala AFF 2004, Boaz terpaksa dicoret dari timnas SEA Games 2005 karena mendapatkan skorsing dari PSSI atas pelanggaran yang dilakukannya di Liga Indonesia. Di tahun 2007, cedera parah yang menimpa Boaz menjelang Piala Asia membuatnya mesti absen lagi di SEA Games. Semoga saja di SEA Games satu-satunya dalam kariernya, Boaz mampu tampil cemerlang mencetak gol demi gol, mengobrak-abrik pertahanan tim lawan, dan mempersembahan medali emas sepakbola bagi Indonesia tercinta. Apalagi rekan-rekan Boaz di timnas U-23 tahun ini cukup berpengalaman tampil di ISL dan di timnas junior sebelumnya, seperti : Ian Kabes, Immanuel Wanggai, Jajang Mulyana, Tony Sucipto, dan Achmad Jufriyanto. Sukses buat Boaz, bersama Persipura maupun timnas indonesia!

***

Sumber foto: Goal.com

SEPAK BOLA: Pelatih Tim U-23 SEA Games Belum Dipastikan

CINTA OLAHRAGA INDONESIA - JAKARTA - Meski SEA Games 2009 tinggal beberapa bulan lagi, tetapi sampai saat ini, PSSI masih belum menentukan pelatih tim nasional U-23 yang akan ikut even itu nanti.
- CINTA OLAHRAGA INDONESIA -

- CINTA OLAHRAGA INDONESIA - Sementara itu pelatih tim U-16 Uruguay Cesar Payovich Perez yang sebelumnya dinyatakan sebagai pelatih tim nasional, saat ini juga sudah berada di Palembang untuk melakukan seleksi pemain.

“Saya masih menunggu presentasi program pelatihan dia (Cesar Payovich Perez), baru setelah itu ada keputusan,” kata ketua PSSI, Nurdin Halid, kepada wartawan, di Jakarta, Rabu (1/4).

Cesar memang menjadi prioritas calon pelatih untuk tim nasional yang disiapkan untuk ajang Sea Games.

Ketua Badan Tim Nasional Rahim Soekasah mengatakan Cesar memang sudah diusulkan untuk menjadi pelatih tim nasional SEA Games 2009. Namun keputusan untuk mengambil Cesar sebagai pelatih tim nasional masih menunggu kesepakatan tentang nilai pembayaran.

Menurut Rahim, Cesar menjadi prioritas pelatih tim nasional U-23 karena dinilai sudah mengetahui kondisi pemain dan sepak bola di Indonesia. Rahim pun yakin jika Cesar mampu meningkatkan kemampuan tim Indonesia. “Dia punya kemampuan bagus untuk melatih,” katanya.

Sebelumnya, Badan Tim Nasional sudah mengeluarkan 28 nama pemain yang dipanggil untuk mengikuti seleksi.

Di antara pemain yang dipanggil untuk ikut seleksi, juga terdapat nama Boaz Sallosa yang selama ini telah bermain untuk tim nasional senior.

Menurut Rahim, setelah proses seleksi, tim nasional akan mengikuti turnamen Interkontinental di Kuala Lumpur pada Juni mendatang sebagai ajang uji coba.

“Setelah itu kembali lagi ke Indonesia, latihan di sini termasuk uji coba di turnamen yang diadakan oleh PSSI,” kata Rahim. (sihc/stic)
- CINTA OLAHRAGA INDONESIA

PSSI Targetkan Emas di SEA Games 2009

Palembang (ANTARA News) - PSSI menargetkan medali emas kepada Timnas sepak bola pada SEA Games 2009 yang kini diarsiteki Pelatih asal Uruguay, Caesar Payovick.

"Timnas U-23 kita telah mengalami peningkatan dalam tiga tahun terakhir, dan target medali emas menjadi realistis saja," kata Nurdin Halid, Ketua Umum PSSI dalam acara peresmian Pelatnas SEA Games 2009, di Palembang, Jumat.

Hadir dalam acara itu, Gubernur Sumsel, H Alex Noerdin, atlet-atlet sepak bola yang ikut seleksi, dan pelatih kepala timnas, Caesar Payovick.

Nurdin Halid juga mengungkapkan tujuan dilaksanakan pelatnas sepak bola di Palembang, bukan di Jakarta, seperti yang biasa dilakukan.

"Kita ingin mensosialisasikan olahraga sepak bola di daerah, khususnya Palembang yang mempunyai klub sepak bola ternama Sriwijaya FC," kata Nurdin pula.

Gubernur Sumsel Alex Noerdin menyatakan kesiapan untuk melasanakan pelatnas dari tanggal 1 April sd. 13 Desember 2009.

"Kami telah menyiapkan semuanya, fasilitas hotel, konsumsi, transportasi hingga sarana dan prasarana latihan," kata Alex pula.

Orang nomor satu di Sumsel ini tak hanya menyatakan kesiapan menyelenggarakan pelatnas sepak bola saja, tapi juga dua cabang olahraga lainnya yang ditunjuk KONI pusat, billiar dan menembak.

"Yang siap saat ini baru sepak bola, dan dua cabang lagi akan menyusul secepatnya, karena sedang tahap persiapan," ujar Alex lagi.(*)

PSM To Identify 'Tekongs' At Khir Johari Gold Cup

KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 (Bernama) -- The Sepak Takraw Association of Malaysia (PSM) are expected to use the Khir Johari Gold Cup sepak takraw championship that kicks off at the Titiwangsa Stadium, here from April 7-11, as a platform to identify potential "tekongs" for the national team.

PSM Coaching Committee Chairman Tengku Adnan Tengku Burhanuddin said finding suitable "tekongs" for the national squad was important as two of the current "tekongs" are tied down by work commitments.

"Norshahidan Masri and Sulaiman Salleh are finding difficulties in securing leave from their employers and this has affected their training and our preparations," he told reporters at the National Sports Council (NSC) training centre in Keramat here today.

Tengku Adnan said due to the unavailability, the elite national squad currently has only six "tekongs" and PSM hope to identify at least three more talented ones who can be drafted into the squad," he said.

Fourteen teams, including defending champion Kuala Lumpur will be vying for honours when the Khir Johari Gold Cup kicks off at the Titiwangsa Stadium.

"This year, we will be facing some very high level tournaments including the World Sepak Takraw championships in May, Thailand King's Cup in July and Laos SEA Games in December. To face these tournaments, we need to go through intensive training," he said.

Tengku Adnan added that former national player and coach Iskandar Arshad would return to coach the national elite squad starting May 1 to try and beef up the squad, especially the "killers" since Iskandar had played in that position before.

Iskandar was also the driving force behind the team that beat Thailand to capture the gold at the 2005 Manila SEA Games after 12 years.

-- BERNAMA

NERI says 25th Sea Games is a stimulant to Lao economy

KPL) Acting Head of the National Economic Research Institute claimed that the 25th SEA Games, to be held in December this year, would act as a stimulus to the national economy and thereby mitigates the adverse effects of the global economic turmoil.

Mr. Leeber Libuapao also said that the national economic growth is facing a big challenge this year because of the sharp drop in the export of goods.

Mr Leeber added that although the government has designed and implemented measures to try to minimise and overcome the effects of the global crisis but it would take at least a few months before one sees its positive effects.

He also said that the national economic recovery, due to commence in 2010, would only kick in if it coincides with the recovery of the world’s economy by next year and it means that if it would grow by one to two per cent in 2010.

However, the Asian Development Bank, in its press release yesterday, is upbeat on the Lao economy and stated that it would grow by 5.5 per cent this year and 5.7 per cent in 2010.

The acting head of NERI commented on the effects of the biggest hydropower project, Nam Theun Two, on the national economy and said that when it is operational in late 2009, it would generate income and this would not only mitigate the impact of the crisis but it can even boost national economic growth.

Mr. Leeber said that in order to get the Lao economy to grow one should get the consumers to spend and this is because national expense is always equal to national income and the government and people should be aware that consumers who retrench and save money would not be contributing to economic growth.

The first round the clock night bazaar in Vientiane to serve SEA GAMES 2009

(KPL) The Hong Thong Development Project (or Night Bazaar)would be operational on a round the clock basis to serve the tourists, commencing from the later part of the year and the purpose of this kind of operational hours is to attract more tourists to Vientiane capital.

This project, presently under construction, is located in Chanthaboury district, in front of Lao National Stadium.

President of Hong Thong Development Project, Mr Khamphay Somsana said that when the project was first proposed it was meant to serve the tourists and to offer them round the clock service.

Construction started in May 2008 and now 30 per cent of the building had been completed., the president of the project said.

“The project is part of Vientiane’s plan to generate more income to the city, especially to the business operators,” he said.

He added that the project would be opened as early as the opening day of the 25th Sea Games.

Funding for this project was made by four local investors, whose combined total investment was 25 billion kip and the authorities granted them a lease of 40 years, Mr Khamphay commented.

“We decided to construct the Night Bazaar because we found that the majority of tourists who visited Vientiane would not spend much time in it and as a result some of the Lao money goes to foreign countries,” said the president of Hong Thong Development Project.

The Night Bazaar would have 10,700 square metres of land, seven two-storey buildings, one restaurant, a public park and parking lot area, he
said.

The restaurant would offer a whole range of Lao food and the prices would be affordable, he added.

The handicraft products, he said would be on sale in the Night Bazaar in order to introduce to the foreign tourists the traditional culture of Laos and the products can be gifts to them, he said.

FIFA supports training course for Lao sports official to prepare for 25th SEA Games

(KPL) The Asian Football Federation organized in Vientiane on 6 April a five day training course to develop football administration, management and coaching capacity within the Lao Football Federation.

The regional course which is part of the Futuro programme run by FIFA, concentrated on instruction of coaches, referees, administrators and sports medicine practitioners, with a view to producing active, home grown management talent, with the proactive effort of member associations.

The five day training course will focus on administrative proficiency, FIFA development activities, general management and finance, as well as competition organization, planning and marketing.