Archery team takes aim at medal success
The Lao archery team has worked hard in the lead up to the 25th SEA Games next month by training at the National Sports Training Centre in Vientiane since April.
An archer trains at the National Sports Training Centre.
The team has been training to international standards at the centre, which is located in Dongsanghin village, Xaythany district.
The seven men and eight women on the archery team are being trained by two Thai and Lao coaches.
Lao coach Mr Bounhom Siliphon said archery teams from other countries were talented but that Laos still stood a chance of winning a medal at the games.
The team had trained hard and they have progressed rapidly during training, he said.
The Lao archers have not had a test event for the games.
Mr Bounhom said there was enough archery equipment for the competition, with more than 10 targets, arrows and bows to use.
The Lao National Sports Committee used money from its budget to buy 12 bows from a supplier in Thailand.
In January and February this year, the Lao team trained at the ASEAN Archery Training Centre in Bangkok, Thailand.
The archery events include men’s and women’s singles in the recurve division, men’s and women’s teams (four archers) in the recurve division, men’s and women’s singles in the compound division, and men’s and women’s teams in the compound division.
The Lao government has spent 200 million kip on laying grass and purchasing equipment for the field.
The Lao National Sports Committee began laying grass at the 100 metre wide and 150 metre long field in July.
The Lao Archery Federation will install targets and other equipment at the field.
Lao archers were unsuccessful in their medal attempt at the 24th SEA Games in Thailand in 2007.
This year, the archery federation is prepared for competition, with an organising committee, referee, volunteer and liaison team ready to assist during the games.
The federation held training courses for 50 students of the National University of Laos last September for performing in the archery event.
The course was run by representatives from the International Archery Federation.
The students studied the rules of shooting, theory and performance in the field, and learnt everything they needed to act as assistants at the games.
The students’ duties include installing the targets, reporting the event results and collating the points for each match.
The federation lacked officials to assist referees during the archery competitions, prompting it to hold the training course for the students.
By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Novembe 13, 2009
