The Lao Petanque Federation would like to select the best and most promising up-and-coming players to compete at international events in the future after the Lao team was unsuccessful in its gold medal attempt at the Asian Beach Games in Vietnam last month.
The best players of the younger generation in Vientiane and from many provinces will have an opportunity to compete at an international level petanque tournament in Krabi province, Thailand next month.
Furthermore, the new players on the Lao team will compete at the World Petanque Championship for men’s teams in Malaysia in December this year.
Meanwhile the men’s and women’s teams will also compete at the Asia-Pacific Petanque Championships in India at the end of this year.
So in preparation, the petanque federation will be ready to host the 7th National Assembly President’s Cup at the federation’s Dongdok campus courts from October 27-29 ahead of the national team’s upcoming events.
The7th National Assembly’s President’s Cup’s tournament comprises men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles at the open level and also a men’s over 50’s event.
The Lao petanque trainer Mr. Somxay Keopaseuth said that in an effort at bringing new blood into the sport they will not allow the most experienced players to compete in the open level at the 7th National Assembly’s President’s Cup’s tournament.
The only seniors allowed will be in the over’50s event.
Mr. Somxay said however that newer players to the national team and aspiring youngsters with talent will be given the opportunity to show their abilities during the tournament.
Currently, the more experienced players on the national team are not performing up to par, Mr. Somxay said, which was demonstrated by their latest performance in Vietnam.
Their exclusion from the NA President’s Cup tournament might just inspire a form reversal among the senior players if they wish to keep representing Laos at the international level.
This year the federation will make bigger cash prizes, as well as trophies and gold medals available for the winners in each division.
Second and third place getters will also receive cash prizes and medallions.
Many young people from the numerous petanque clubs in Vientiane and from the provinces are expected to compete in the 7th National Assembly’s President’s Cup.
Each year the National Assembly’s President’s Cup is supported by the Lao Brewery Co., Ltd.
Before travelling to attend to compete at the Beach Games in Vietnam, the Petanque Federation’s target was to win gold medals at the games but the team was only able to manage two silver medals this time around.
However the Lao petanque team successfully held onto its top ranking at the 3rd Asean Petanque Championships on home soil after winning five gold, six silver and seven bronze medals from 12 petanque events last August.
And the women’s Petanque team won a gold medal at the18th ASEAN University Games in Singapore last July.
Source: Vientiane Times
