Vietnam touches full preparations for sports tournaments

Nearly 600 young athletes have started training at national sports centres nationwide in preparation for regional and international games.

Vietnam will take part in two important international bodybuilding tournaments - the Southeast Asian Bodybuilding Tournament in Indonesia and the World Bodybuilding Championships in Russia. Sixteen bodybuilders and four coaches will start training at the Hanoi-based National Sports Training Centre.

The national 47-member wushu team, including 31 taolu and 16 shanshou athletes, will train from February 2 to December 31. It will be led by a seven-member coaching board headed by Nguyen Xuan Thi.

The National Physical Training and Sports Committee is expected to invite a Chinese expert to assist the coaches. In 2004, the team will take part in the Asia Wushu Championships.