Asian, European parliamentarians meet in Vientiane - Vientiane Times

20 Thursday October 4, 2012
Vientiane Times
Sport
NUOL kick-boxers to face Thailand in Muay Lao event
A Lao kick-boxer (right) kicks out at a Thai opponent at the muay lao competition in Vientiane.
Sangkhomsay
Bubphanouvong
The National University
of Laos’ (NUOL) kickboxing
team is set to test
their tactics when they face
Thai fighters at the Vientiane
Muay Lao Competition on
October 27.
The competition, which
will be held by the Muay Lao
Association, will take place at
the Xokxay ring in Vientiane.
While NUOL will compete
in events in the men’s 45, 54,
57, 60 and 63kg categories,
an Australian fighter will also
face a Canadian opponent in
the 100kg division.
Currently, the university
team is training at the Xokxay
training camp.
NUOL fighters in several
men’s categories, including
the 45, 48 and 54kg weight
divisions, will also be
competing with Thai fighters
in a friendly muay lao
competition in Savannakhet
province on October 30.
Secretary of the Muay
Lao Association, Mr
Pathana Fongsamoth, said
Savannakhet province hopes
to celebrate Visit Laos Year
with a win in this event, but
felt the host’s chances of
beating their Thai counterparts
were slim as they were not as
physically fit.
He said, however, that
giving the university’s fighters
the opportunity to face the
Thai team would be useful,
because they could learn from
the strength and skill of their
opponents.
Currently, Thailand is
preparing its best fighters to
compete at the 16th Asean
University Games, which
will be hosted by NUOL in
December.
Mr Pathana said these
events in Vientiane and
Savannakhet provinces are
very important for the NUOL
team as it will improve
their skills and build their
confidence ahead of the
December games.
The muay lao team has
many fighters with experience
at the international level, but
the Muay Lao Association has
decided to use a mixture of
new and experienced fighters
for the competition. They
will send eight male and four
female fighters in different
weight classes to compete at
the Asean University Games,
where the team is hoping for
four gold medals.
Laos’ muay lao team won
three gold, five silver and
three bronze medals at the
Indoor Games International
Kick-boxing Tournament held
in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam,
in July this year, and five gold
medals at the 25th SEA Games
in 2009.
At the last Indoor Games
in Vietnam in 2008, the
federation sent six males and
three females to compete in
different divisions. They also
came away with one gold
and three silver medals, so
chances look good for the
team in December.