Mr Sengphone Phonamath addresses the National Olympics Committee of Laos on Thursday.  --Photo Elite Sports Department

Laos’ Olympics committee gears up for int’l events

The National Olympics Committee of Laos is making plans to prepare Lao athletes for competition in international events in 2023 and 2024.
These events comprise the South-East Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia in May next year, the Asian Games in China in September next year, the Asean Indoor Games to be hosted by Thailand in November next year, and the Olympic Games to be hosted by France in the summer of 2024.
The Committee will train up athletes in preparation for these events and at the same time will step up training and select competitors for the National Games, which will take place in Xieng Khuang province in December.
Reporting on the Committee’s work at a meeting last week to appoint a new Executive Committee, Director General of the Elite Sports Department, Mr Sengphone Phonamath, said funding support would be sought from the International Olympics Committee, Asean countries, and Asean Sports Federations.
Funding is needed to support training programmes and athletes’ attendance at overseas events.
The Committee will request financial support from the Olympics Committees of Vietnam and Thailand for a three-month training period ahead of the SEA Games and Asian Games next year, in line with an agreement signed by the Olympics Committees of Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. 
Funding will also be sought from the Olympics Committee of the Republic of Korea so that Laos can send a taekwondo trainer and the Lao taekwondo team to train in Korea in preparation for the Asian Games and the Olympic Games.
The Committee will also seek funding from Japan’s Olympics Committee to support training for the Lao judo team in Japan for these two sporting events.
In addition, China’s Olympics Committee will be asked to support the Lao wushu team with training in China in preparation for the Asian Games next year.
The Committee plans to bolster the development of sports in Laos and to work more closely with international organisations.
Lao athletes won two gold, seven silver and 25 bronze medals at the 31st SEA Games in Vietnam in May this year.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update September 13S, 2022)