A woman kickboxer trains at the Chao Anouvong stadium in Vientiane.     --Photo Dee Sao Lao

Martial artists’ hopes high ahead of SEA Games

Martial arts practitioners in Laos are eyeing the approach of the 31st South-East Asia (SEA) Games to be held in Hanoi, Vietnam, in May.
Lao competitors will be out in force, taking part in kickboxing, vovinam, muay, wushu, judo, karate-do, pencak silat, wrestling, taekwondo and boxing events, with 80 contestants lined up to attend the regional sporting contest.
The government will finance training by Chinese and Vietnamese coaches for the wushu, vovinam and kickboxing teams over the next three months.
Competitors in other martial arts will be trained by experienced Lao trainers, who have proved themselves at the national and international levels in past years.
Martial arts federations are selecting both new and experienced fighters in various divisions and they are now taking part in vigorous training sessions.
However, some Lao competitors have not been able to attend international events in their particular martial art.
The government will provide a budget for training at the Lao-Japan Budo Centre, National Sports Training Centre and other locations over the next 70 to 90 days before the teams travel to Vietnam.
Hopes are high that teams will bring back a glittering array of medals from the games.
Last year, martial arts teams competed in several international events despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
Later this year they will also get the chance to compete at the 11th National Games in Xieng Khuang province and at other international events.
In 2019, Laos won 34 medals including a gold medal in kickboxing at the 30th SEA Games held in the Philippines.

By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
(Latest Update February 25, 2022)