A French tennis player and a kickboxer have been conferred with Lao passports in order to compete at the upcoming SEA Games 2021 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
A ceremony was held on 27 April at the Embassy of Laos in Paris, France, where Lao Ambassador to France, Mr. Khamin Kitchadeth, presented Lao passports to Mr. Mick Lescure (tennis player) and Mr. Dimitri Khitana Silaluck (kickboxer).
28-year-old Mick Lescure has been a professional tennis player in France since 2010, and is now ranked 1178 in the world.
Meanwhile, Mr. Dimitri is a 30-year-old professional kickboxer with the Belgian Valon club.
The Lao ambassador congratulated both athletes and hoped for success in the SEA Games.
Dimitri Silalck has since announced he would not be able to compete at the upcoming SEA Games due to other obligations.
“I’m disappointed to announce I won’t take part in the SEA GAMES 2022 in Hanoi due to other professional obligations,” he said in a social media post.
“I’m sorry for the staff who worked hard for me to join the team. It won’t be this year, but we still have time to do great things together.”
“I want to express my support for the Lao kickboxing team first, and to all Laotian teams who are going to represent our country.“
The rescheduled 2021 SEA Games will be held in Hanoi, Vietnam from 12 to 23 this month after the Covid-19 pandemic prevented the event from being held last year.
Laos has been nominated to host the SEA Games in 2029.
