> On Jan 14, 2:35 pm, "ດອກກະຈຽວ" gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>

>> 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)

>
> Any sport event of this magnitude always brings in benefits to the
> host country.
> Australia has a good share of these international sport events,
> including the Melbourne Olympics in October 1956, Sydney Olympic 2000,
> 1982http://goaustralia.about.com/cs/olympicgames/l/blgames.htm
>
> XII Commonwealth Games - Brisbane, 2006;
> XVIII Commonwealth Games - Melbourne and many other World Champion
> games.
>
> Each of these games stimulate improvement or new development in
> sporting venues, road construction, accommodation and services in all
> sectors.
>
> There is no doubt that with properly management, the Laonai would
> benefit from many of the  positive aspects that the SEA game brings to
> Laos.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -