Day: April 12, 2023

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WBO event to feature title match, international boxers

The WBO Youth Title Match Chapter 3: The Rising Star international boxing event is set to showcase an impressive display of boxing on April 22 at The Grand Ho Tram Strip in southern Ba Ria – Vang Tau province.

Korean fighter Song Chan Ho, who has dominated the WBO Oriental Youth Super Lightweight division for nearly a year, is set to defend his title against Thai challenger Poramin Saengpak in the night’s main event.

Song boasts an unbeaten record of 11 wins, seven of which were secured through knockouts (KO). He claimed his title after beating Romer Pinili of the Philippines in Vietnam last April and successfully defended it twice in July and December of the same year at The Grand Ho Tram Strip.

In contrast, 18-year-old Saengpak has fought in 17 matches, winning 11 with 9 KOs, and losing six with 5 KOs. The stage is set for an exhilarating match as these two young fighters battle it out for the WBO Youth Title.

The event will also feature two highly-anticipated bouts between Vietnamese and Chinese fighters.

Pham Huu Thuong of Vietnam will take on Zeng Yujie of China in the men’s super flyweight, while Vietnam’s Nguyen Van Hai will go head-to-head with China’s Xiao Tao Su in the men’s lightweight category.

Thuong, a rising star in Vietnamese boxing and a member of the Cocky Buffalo Gym, has competed in four matches so far, recording two wins and two losses.

In contrast, Zeng, 26, boasts much more experience, having fought in 28 matches, with 16 wins (7KOs), one draw, and 11 losses (2KOs).

Later on, on the under-card, national seven-time champion Hai will face a significant challenge in his quest to improve his professional boxing profile.

Despite being 34 years of age, Hai of VSP Boxing has only participated in five matches throughout his four-year career, winning four of them, two via KOs, and losing just one.

His latest outing was a win against young boxer Ha Minh Tuan at the VSP Pro 3 event held last month in HCM City.

Xiao, who is younger than Hai at 34, is a renowned boxer in the region.

Xiao clinched the IBO Oceania-Orient and WBO Oriental Super Featherweight belts in 2019, having played in 13 matches, scoring 11 wins with 6 KOs and experiencing only two defeats.

However, his record has not been updated since December 2020, indicating that he may not have been active since the pandemic.

Hai is hopeful of a victory in the eight-round match, which would bolster his record and potentially pave the way for him to compete for a belt later this year.

In the remaining three matches, Korean prodigy Lee Ju-yeong, aged 17, will battle Mongolia’s Bayarkhuu Ganbaatar in the event’s opening match.

Filipino boxer Tenorio Romeo will face off against Gun Kim from the Republic of Korea, while Russian fighter Mikhail Lesnikov will take on Chinese opponent Xian Hai Zhang.

The upcoming event is a joint effort by Cocky Buffalo, one of the top gyms in the country that has produced several world-class martial artists, and the World Boxing Organisation (WBO).

Fans who are keen on catching the fights can purchase tickets for 1 million VND (43 USD), which includes a buffet and drinks, from the Cocky Buffalo office or The Grand Ho Tram Strip resort.

Alternatively, they can call 1800 588801 to book their tickets. The exciting matches will be broadcasted exclusively on VTVcab’s ON and On plus TV apps, as well as TV channels./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Vietnam ready to excel in new sports at SEA Games 32

Cambodia, the host country of the 32nd SEA Games, will feature never-before-seen sports in previous events and the Vietnamese delegation will not only participate but also aim to win medals.

Kun bokator, formerly known as kun l’bokator, is a traditional Cambodian martial art that dates back 2,000 years.

This ancient art employs a diverse range of attack techniques utilising hands, feet, elbows and knees, as well as various weapons, such as long and short sticks and swords.

Kun bokator’s system of movements is incredibly intricate, with many of the actions mimicking wild animals and traditional Apsara dance styles.

Martial artists in kun bokator are prohibited from jumping to enhance their speed, as is common in karate, taekwondo, and boxing.

Kun bokator is divided into two categories, performance and fighting, both of which will be contested at the Games.

At the Southeast Asian Kun Bokator Championship held in Phnom Penh in Cambodia in early April, the Vietnamese team, with the core of traditional martial arts athletes, won three gold medals thanks to Nguyen Thi Hoai Nhi in the women’s 45kg, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai in the women’s 55kg, and Ngo Duc Manh in the men’s 70kg category.

In addition, Vietnam also won three more silvers and three bronzes at this pre-SEA Games 32 tournament.

With the above-mentioned excellent achievement, Vietnam hopes to take gold medals in the kun bokator events at SEA Games 32.

Kun bokator will include 16 team and nine individual fighting events, and seven individual and team performance events. Athletes will compete in the men’s 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg and 70kg weight classes as well as 45kg, 50kg, 55kg and 60kg weight classes for women.

While kun khmer is Cambodia’s traditional fighting martial art, the style is similar to Muay Thai. Kun khmer uses punches, kicks and elbows, generating power from hip rotation instead of leg snaps.

Seven teams will compete in kun khmer in Cambodia for 19 sets of medals.

As Vietnam is not well developed in this sport, at the Games, the Vietnamese khmer kun team will be made up of Muay Thai athletes such as Truong Cao Minh Phat, Bui Yen Ly and Huynh Ha Huu Hieu.

As Muay Thai is not held at SEA Games 32, the above athletes will hope for at least two golds medal in kun khmer.

In the SEA Games last year, Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat won a gold medal in muay in the men’s 60kg category. This year, he is part of the training board, not competing anymore.

“I have participated in many SEA Games, so this time I want to give opportunities to young athletes,” said the five-time Muay Thai world champion Nhat. “I have experience and hope to help young athletes. The whole team and I are preparing the best for the upcoming Games.”

According to Vath Chamroeun, Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, hosting the SEA Games is an opportunity for Cambodia to introduce sports with national cultural identity. It considers it an opportunity for conservation and development.

Cambodia also included ouk chaktrang in the competition. This Khmer type of chess is quite similar to the international chess version, with 64 squares and 16 pieces.

To compete in this sport, the Vietnamese ouk chaktrang team comprises players with high results at last year’s national championship.

At the Southeast Asian Ouk Chaktrang Championship in January, Vietnam won two golds, three silvers and one bronze, ranking second in the medal tally, only after the host Cambodia. This will be the basis for Vietnam to aim to win two gold medals./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Bangkok readies to splash out for colourful Songkran festival

As normal life has returned post COVID-19 outbreak, Thailand’s Bangkok is ready to celebrate a bright and colourful Songkran festival which runs from April 13 to 17 this year.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said local residents and tourists will be able to enjoy Songkran celebrations at nearly 200 locations around the capital, with the main attractions being Khao San Road, Silom Road, Lan Khon Muang city square, and various shopping malls.

Other main venues for celebrations include Pathum Wanaram Temple in Pathumwan district, Siam Centre, Icon Siam and all Central shopping malls.

The governor has called on all Bangkokians to wear bright floral designs to boost the festival’s bid for recognition as global cultural heritage.

Wearing Songkran-themed floral prints will help showcase the characteristics of the tradition so the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) can consider listing this festival as world heritage, he added.

UNESCO has added the Songkran festival to its tentative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage for consideration in December this year./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Quang Ninh tops 2022 public administration performance index

– The northern province of Quang Ninh topped the 2022 Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced on April 12.

This is the second time Quang Ninh has held the highest position in the 12 years the PAPI survey has been conducted in Vietnam.

The province was followed by the southern province of Binh Duong, and the central province of Thanh Hoa. Meanwhile, the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang was at the bottom.

Vietnam’s efforts to overcome the socio-economic impacts of the unprecedented health crisis in 2022 translated into increased economic confidence at household and national levels. In a notable turnaround, 66.1% of the respondents viewed the national economy as “good” in 2022 – a 19.4% leap from a year earlier, while there was a 13.7% drop in citizens assessing conditions as “bad” from 19.8% in 2021 to only 6.1% in 2022. Similarly, at the household level, fewer citizens reported their economic situation was “poor” (11.4 versus 15.3% in 2021).

Despite this progress, some scarring from the health crisis was evident. While 56% of the respondents confirmed their economic conditions were better in 2022 than a year earlier (52%), aside from 2021, this percentage in 2022 was still the lowest since 2012. Similarly, those suggesting that their economic conditions were worse rose to their highest levels since 2012, except for 2021. This underlined that many respondents are still feeling the lingering pain of the economic damage by the pandemic, with ethnic minorities and women most acutely impacted given the higher prevalence of poverty and vulnerable employment among them.

The transition to the post-pandemic era is also reflected in health and health insurance as 2021’s issue of greatest concern plummeting from 23.84 to 6.38% to be overtaken by poverty/hunger (22.13%) – perennially at the top of the list since 2015, aside from pandemic-hit 2021.

With a record 16,117 respondents randomly selected from all of Vietnam’s 63 provinces and cities, PAPI is in a unique position to deliver invaluable insights into government performance at all levels two years into its 2021-2026 term and actualise the 2023 legislative agenda.

The index is a policy monitoring tool that assesses citizen experiences and satisfaction with government performance at the national and sub-national levels in governance, public administration and public service delivery. Following the initial pilot in 2009 and a larger survey in 2010, the PAPI survey has been implemented nationwide each year since 2011. For the 2022 PAPI Report, 16,117 randomly selected citizens were surveyed. In total, 178,243 Vietnamese citizens nationwide have been directly interviewed for PAPI since 2009.

PAPI measures eight dimensions: participation at local levels, transparency, vertical accountability, control of corruption, public administrative procedures, public service delivery, environmental governance and e-government.

Quang Ninh also topped Vietnam’s Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) 2022, as announced in the PCI 2022 report by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) on April 11.

This is the 6th year in a row it has topped the charts. It was followed by Bac Giang, Hai Phong, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Dong Thap./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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PM urges streamlining administrative procedures, paving way for transport projects

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked ministries, agencies and localities to work harder in order to pave way for transport projects, saying administrative procedures should be streamlined, while concluding a meeting of the State steering committee for national key transport projects in Hanoi on April 12.

The PM, who is also head of the committee, urged hastening transport projects from north to south so as to put relevant resolutions, guidelines and policies adopted by the Party and the State into place.

The Ministry of Transport should coordinate with other ministries, agencies and localities to review roadblocks regarding land, mechanisms, policies and tax incentives, and report them to the National Assembly and its Standing Committee for consideration, he said.

The leader also suggested diversifying capital sources for the national key transport projects, targeting those out of the State budget and under the public-private partnership model.

Specifically, for projects whose investment plans have yet to get the green light, he asked the Ministry of Transport and localities to quickly complete preparations for the investment, noting that the investment amount of the Ninh Binh-Nam Dinh-Thai Binh expressway needs to be reviewed.

For those with approved investment plans, the PM urged localities to speed up site clearance and complete procedures in line with regulations so that their construction can start before June 30.

Regarding the projects underway, the Transport Ministry needs to drastically instruct contractors to push ahead with the progress, ensuring the quality, safety and environmental standards, he said.

About Long Thanh International Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai, about 40km from Ho Chi Minh City, he said the bidding must be transparent to select capable contractors.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment was assigned to guide the Transport Ministry to remove obstacles to construction material exploitation in localities, and settle the compensation work.

The Government leader also asked People’s Committees of the northern mountainous provinces of Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang and Son La to review investment scale of expressways in order to take timely adjustments.

PM urges streamlining administrative procedures, paving way for transport projects hinh anh 2

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs the meeting. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City need to accelerate the progress of the Nhon – Hanoi Station and Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien urban railway projects.

For the 14 cities and provinces that play a role in the three East-West expressways and two ring roads, the PM requested them to accelerate the work to start the construction before June 30.

Mentioning the 12 cities and provinces where the 2021-2025 North-South expressway runs through, he said they should focus on addressing public complaints about compensation, and temporary accommodation for local residents before resettlement areas are completed.

Notably, he asked Mekong Delta provinces to soon review their sand supply capacity, making it easier for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to allocate the material for projects. /.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

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Nine more Asian records for Vietnamese dishes, specialties recognised

The Asian Record Organisation has officially recognised an additional nine Asian records for famous Vietnamese dishes/food groups and specialties nominated by the Vietnam Records Organisation (VietKings), marking the milestone of 50 Asian culinary records in Vietnam in conformity with the “Asian Culinary Value” criteria.

The newly-recognised dishes and specialties include traditional cakes of Can Tho city; dishes made from pineapple in the southern province of Hau Giang; fried puffed sticky rice cake in the southern province of Dong Nai; Dinh Bang “Phu The” (husband and wife) cake in the northern province of Bac Ninh; dragon fruit in the south central province of Binh Thuan; Phan Thiet fish sauce from Binh Thuan province; Luc Ngan lychee in the northern province of Bac Giang; Lam Dong artichoke in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong; Long Xuyen broken rice in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang.

As scheduled, the Asian records certificates will be awarded to the localities at a meeting in June in Ho Chi Minh City.

Nine more Asian records for Vietnamese dishes, specialties recognised hinh anh 3

Long Xuyen broken rice in An Giang province. (Photo: Internet)

According to a VietKings representative, VietKings has taken a journey to seek and promote the unique values of Vietnam, especially its culinary and specialty values, since 2012. With 63 cities and provinces, the Vietnamese cuisine and specialties in each region have their own distinctive flavors, ingredients, ways of using and combining spices, among others. Via media cooperation with international record organisations to which that VietKings is a member, such journey will continue in order to popularise these exquisite values./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency