The flag hoisting ceremony for sports delegations taking part in the third Asian Indoor Games (AIG) took place at Olympics Square, in Ha Noi’s My Dinh National Stadium yesterday, October 28.

As planned, the ceremony for the 41 countries and territories that will compete at the 10-day event will last for three days, through tomorrow.

The flag raising ceremony for the Viet Nam team was held yesterday afternoon with the participation of the nation’s most outstanding athletes.

Viet Nam will compete at the Games with the aim of reaching eighth place in the overall medal tally, with 15-20 gold medals.

Health board to prepares for AIG

The third Asian Indoor Games’ Doping Test and Health Board has established 53 ad hoc groups to work the event at gymnasiums, press centres and hotels.

Each group includes two doctors, two nurses and one driver who will work 24 hours a day.

The Doping Test and Health Board has set up projects to prevent an H1N1 flu pandemic.

As far as doping is concerned, around 500 samples will be taken, instead of the usual 200.

Dentsu Alpha to broadcast AFF

The Viet Nam Football Federation will co-ordinate with the Dentsu Alpha Ltd Company to broadcast the Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF) Cup in 2010 and 2012.

Dentsu Alpha was assigned the rights to broadcast the tournaments in Viet Nam from the World Sport Group, the sole marketing partner of the Asian Football Confederation and the AFF. The company will seek and discuss with Vietnamese television stations to select the best partner to provide perfect programmes to viewers in Viet Nam.

The AFF Cup, which was known as the AFF Suzuki Cup, will be organised next December 1-29 in Viet Nam and Indonesia. Viet Nam, as the host, will compete with seven rivals to defend the championship title.

Apart from the AFF Cup, Dentsu Alpha also has the rights to broadcast other football tournaments, including the AFC Cup and the AFF Champions League 2010, 2011 and 2012, the FIFA Club World Cup 2010 and the AFC Asian Cup 2011 in Viet Nam.

Tennis fans prepare for tourney

More than 400 players, both professional and amateur, will compete at the ninth Phu My Hung Cup tennis tournament, to be held in HCM City on Saturday.

The eight-day event will open at the Wonderland tennis court complex in the Phu My Hung new urban area.

Competitors include corporate executives, foreigners and local top players who will play in a round-robin format in three categories – professional, semi-professional and enterprises and amateur. They will play in the men’s and women’s singles and men’s double events.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News