Olympian Doan Kien Quoc and his team-mates Tran Tuan Quynh, Nguyen NamHai and rising star Dinh Quang Linh will all compete in the All-StarsSoutheast Asian Table Tennis Championship starting on September 11 inHai Duong city.
Quoc, who qualified for the second roundat the Beijing Olympics, will lead the Vietnamese in a tough contestagainst top tour athletes from Singapore and Thailand in themen's singles.
Known for his left-hand smashes, the31-year-old is hoping to be on top form in what could be the mostimportant game of the year.
"Quoc has always been a keymember for Vietnam . He has gained experience in world competitions.But Tuan Quynh and Quang Linh have also won medals in regionalcontests," said Vietnam Table Tennis Federation official Nguyen DucLong.
"The tournament, which is being held the first time,is a crucial test for our players, who've lacked tough competitionthroughout the year," Long added.
In the women's division,the hosts will display their power with top-form sisters Mai Hoang MyTrang and Mai Xuan Hang and teenager Nguyen Thi Viet Linh.
Linh, 16, who won the U15 girls' singles in the Southeast Asia juniorchampionships in Thailand last year, begins her first competition ata senior tourney.
As scheduled, athletes will compete inthe men's and women's eight group round-robin competition at Hai Duong's2,000-seat Gymnasium.
The two top players from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals.
"We're ready to host the tournament. The gymnasium, which was built forthe Southeast Asian Games in 2003 and upgraded last year, will be anideal venue for the biggest table tennis event of the year," saiddirector of Hai Duong gymnasium Nguyen Van Thanh.
Vietnam will send a 24-member squad to compete in the two-day event, which the country will host for the first time.
Quynh was the first Vietnamese player to win the Southeast Asian Championship in 2002./.
Quoc, who qualified for the second roundat the Beijing Olympics, will lead the Vietnamese in a tough contestagainst top tour athletes from Singapore and Thailand in themen's singles.
Known for his left-hand smashes, the31-year-old is hoping to be on top form in what could be the mostimportant game of the year.
"Quoc has always been a keymember for Vietnam . He has gained experience in world competitions.But Tuan Quynh and Quang Linh have also won medals in regionalcontests," said Vietnam Table Tennis Federation official Nguyen DucLong.
"The tournament, which is being held the first time,is a crucial test for our players, who've lacked tough competitionthroughout the year," Long added.
In the women's division,the hosts will display their power with top-form sisters Mai Hoang MyTrang and Mai Xuan Hang and teenager Nguyen Thi Viet Linh.
Linh, 16, who won the U15 girls' singles in the Southeast Asia juniorchampionships in Thailand last year, begins her first competition ata senior tourney.
As scheduled, athletes will compete inthe men's and women's eight group round-robin competition at Hai Duong's2,000-seat Gymnasium.
The two top players from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals.
"We're ready to host the tournament. The gymnasium, which was built forthe Southeast Asian Games in 2003 and upgraded last year, will be anideal venue for the biggest table tennis event of the year," saiddirector of Hai Duong gymnasium Nguyen Van Thanh.
Vietnam will send a 24-member squad to compete in the two-day event, which the country will host for the first time.
Quynh was the first Vietnamese player to win the Southeast Asian Championship in 2002./.
