First Judo Championship to hold in Vientiane

(KPL) The Lao National Judo Federation was cooperated with the National Sport Committee will organise the 1st National Judo Tournament at Phonsavanh School in Dongdok village, Vientiane.on 26-27 July.
The President of the Lao National Judo Federation, Mr Khemsath Philaphandeth disclosed at a press conference last Wednesday that the tournament aims to promote the sport playing among young people and raise Lao judo team as an international standard.
The Lao judo team won two gold medals at the last SEA Games, in Thailand.
The event will draw more than 80 athletes nationwide. The 12 athletes will be selected from the tournament and compete in Champassak Games at the end of this year and SEA Games 2009.
They will also be trained in Vietnam for three months while the federation has already sent three judo players to train in Mongolia.
Mr Khemsath said the federation would spend about US$15,000 on hosting the first judo tournament. The main sponsors of the event are the KP Company and Lao TOYOTA Service Company.
The federation will host a similar competition next year, one month before the official opening ceremony of the SEA Games in Vientiane. The competition will be a trail for competitors and venues, to ensure readiness for the games.
He said Laos has sent three Lao Judo Trainers to Nepal to attend an international federation referee examination, so they can perform these duties at the games.
Mr Khemsath also reported that the Lao judo team had won six bronze medals in the South East Asia Championship in Vietnam this year and also won a bronze medal at an international tournament in Vietnam.

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