> The Lao National Sports Committee met at the Prime Minister's Office
> last Friday to begin organising and planning for the 25 th SEA Games
> in 2009.
>
> Standing Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the 25 th SEA Games
> Organising Committee, Mr Somsavat Lengsavad, senior officials from
> ministries, and presidents of various Lao sports federations also
> attended.
>
> The committee is supervising the construction of a new football
> stadium and athlete accommodation, while also determining the best
> athletes to represent Laos at the games.
>
> Discussions are currently focused around stadium construction,
> training centres, accommodation, catering, transportation, and
> tourism.
>
> The committee will send the most talented athletes to train in
> neighbouring countries to improve their medal chances.
>
> At the 24 th SEA Games in Thailand last year, the Lao team was helped
> by trainers from Vietnam , China , the Republic of Korea , Japan ,
> Indonesia , Mongolia and Thailand , and showed great improvements.
>
> The 25 th SEA Games will take place in Vientiane and in Savannakhet
> and Luang Prabang provinces. The opening and closing ceremonies will
> be held at the new football stadium in Vientiane .
>
> Savannakhet province will upgrade its accommodation, roads and stadium
> for some of the football events.
>
> Luang Prabang province will host the track and field events,
> rebuilding its existing stadium.
>
> Vientiane will spend more billions of kip to prepare for the games,
> building accommodation, improving the city's appearance and expanding
> the public transport system.
>
> The city is well established to cope with the influx of athletes and
> visitors who will attend the games. There are 97 hotels and 69
> restaurants as well as many places of historic and cultural interest.
> The city's 60 tourism companies will certainly benefit.
>
> The games will comprise swimming and diving, wrestling, track and
> field, badminton, rugby, boxing, football, futsal, golf, judo,
> karatedo, petanque, sepak takraw, billiards and snooker, shooting,
> Muay Lao, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, boat racing, shuttlecock,
> wushu, pencak silat, volleyball and beach volleyball events.
>
> "The government decided to host the games because of its importance in
> the region; it is a great opportunity to improve the skills of our
> athletes, and it will be good for the economy," Mr Somsavat said.
>
> "Lao athletes have a lot of potential but first we need to find them.
> If we select the best competitors and managers, we will be successful,
> perhaps winning more than 25 gold medals."
>
> By Sangkhomsay Buphanouvong
> (Latest Update January 14, 2008)