Incentives for Vietnamese athletes ahead of send-off
At a press conference in Hanoi on November 6, deputy chairman of the
company Vu Quang Huy said the 3,390,000 VND (160 USD) gift was not big,
but hopefully would encourage athletes.
Lam Quang
Thanh, deputy head of the National Sports Administration and head of the
Vietnam delegation, said at least eight other enterprises and companies
had promised support for the team. He said sponsors were also offering
"hot, on-the-spot bonuses" to those who achieved great success.
Meanwhile, the national women's football team has been granted support
worth 6 billion VND (286,000 USD) from Nutifood in preparation for the
2015 World Cup. This will allow the team to train in Japan, one of the
world's leading female football nations. The company has also promised
jobs to footballers when they finish playing.
Vietnam will have 591 athletes in 29 events at the Games, aiming to be
one of the top three at the biennial event. A send-off ceremony for the
27th SEA Games in Myanmar will be organised on November 20 at the
National Sports Training Centre in Hanoi.
Hundreds
of athletes, coaches and officials who represent Vietnam at the biennial
Games will take part in the event which is traditionally held to boost
athlete morale and confidence before the competition begins.
"Usually, the Hanoi centre provides core athletes for the national
team (there are four centres nation-wide). This year we have fewer
athletes than in previous Games, but we still set a target of Viet Nam's
winning up to 70 gold medals in Myanmar," said Nguyen Manh Hung,
director of the centre.
"All of our athletes have been
in intensive training for months. We believe that they will be ensured
about physical strength and sound techniques to compete at the Games,"
he added.
The ceremony will feature Vietnam's team
members, cheerleaders, supporters and well-wishers, as well as the
participation of nationally famous singers and bands. The football team
will be the first to arrive in Nay Pyi Taw on November 26 while the
biggest group of the delegation will leave for the competition on
December 4.
The Games will officially open on December 11 and close 11 days later.-VNA