International teams ready for cup
Teams from the Netherlands, Mongolia, the Philippines, as well as 16 from Viet Nam, will be competing in the BTV-Cup Number One, on Tuesday.
The 10-stage tour will cover a distance of more than 1,100km.
The Vietnamese teams include Domesco Dong Thap, Sai Gon Plant Protection Joint-Stock Company, HCM City and An Giang Plant Protection Company.
Among the strongest cyclists are Truong Quoc Thang, Trinh Phat Dat, Nguyen Nam Cuc and Mai Cong Hieu.
The tour will carry a total cash prize of more than VND220 million (US$12,000).
Viet Nam rise in FIFA ranking
Viet Nam are now 114th in FIFA's February rankings.
The team, which is considered the second strongest in the Southeast Asia region after Thailand (99th), jumped two places from 112th earlier in the year.
Viet Nam's highest position was 84th, which it reached in September 1998 after their remarkable triumph at the Tiger Cup.
Malaysia jumped 13 places to 146th in the world.
The four best teams in the world are Spain, Brazil, the Netherlands and Italy, in descending order.
Meanwhile, 5,700 10 – to 12-year-olds, considered to be the best young footballers in the country, took part in the first qualifying of the "Road to FIFA World Cup 2010" competition in HCM City on Monday.
The best 24 players will get the chance to train with strikers Phan Thanh Binh and Phinali under the guidance of coach Trieu Quang Ha.
The 12 best players will represent Viet Nam at the Coca Cola global football camp in South Africa.
The programme is jointly sponsored by the VFF, Viet Nam Television and Coca Cola.
Minh to play at Swiss Open
Nguyen Tien Minh of Viet Nam will compete at the Swiss Open badminton championship on March 16-21.
The Vietnamese athlete, who ranked ninth in the world, is seeded No 7.
He will meet the winner from the qualifiers, most likely Kazushi Yamada of Japan.
Minh, who is expected to at least make it to the quarter-finals, will play the winner of the match between Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk from Thailand and Carl Baxter in the second round if successful in his first game.
If he makes it to the quarter finals, he will most probably meet Chen Jin of China, who is the world No 3.
It will be the third time, Minh and Chen would have met.
Earlier, Minh lost to the Chinese player at the South Korea Open. Their second encounter will be at the All-England tournament, which kicks off next week. — VNS