Ha Noi hosts int’l judo tourney

Ha Noi hosts int’l judo tourney
(28-04-2006)

HA NOI — Vietnamese judo artists will compete against tough world-class opponents at the 3rd International Judo Tournament in Ha Noi on May 6-8.
The hosts will send four teams to the event to take on teams from Laos, South Korea, Japan, China’s Guangxi and Tiantan and Thailand. In all, 107 athletes will contest for 16 medal sets in men’s and women’s weight categories.
Viet Nam 1, composed of main national squad’s members, have recently completed a long training session in China to prepare for the event.
Southeast Asian gold medallists, Tran Van Doat, in the men’s under-60kg and Nguyen Duy Khanh, in the under-55kg category will be put to the test at the event.
Doat, who won the first gold medal for Viet Nam at the International Judo Tournament in Macao last year, is the country’s golden hope at the third consecutive tournament in Ha Noi.
At the tournament, former Southeast Asian Games gold medallist, Nguyen Linh Son, who will return after being absent for several years, will compete for Viet Nam 2 in the men’s under-66kg division along with the previous tournament’s only gold medal winner, Bui Dinh Tien, in the under-55kg category.
The main rivals at the tournament are expected to be athletes from South Korea’s draft national squad.
In the last event, Viet Nam finished third overall with one gold, six silvers and five bronzes, after winners Thailand with 12 golds and second-ranked Japan, with three golds and three silvers. — VNS

Fonte: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/