[Tlc] L-SEA Games trouble

[justinm at ucr.edu]

FYI.
Thanks,
justin



2007-1212 - AP - Laos to cut gymnastics, basketball from SEA Games

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/12/sports/AS-SPT-SEA-Games-Gymnastics.php

International Herald Tribune

Laos to cut gymnastics, basketball from SEA Games

The Associated Press
Wednesday, December 12, 2007

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand: Gymnastics and basketball are in
doubt for the next edition of the Southeast Asian Games after
2009 host Laos confirmed Wednesday that it could not host the
events.

Laos sporting officials said 2009 host city, the capital
Vientiane, did not have adequate facilities to host the
events, which are staples of most multi-sports games.

"There will no gymnastics and basketball during the 25th SEA
Games," Laos team commissioner Somphu Pangsa said. "There are
no huge venues for indoor sports like these."

Pangsa said Laos intended to cut the number of sports from 43
in the current Games to 25, but would not reveal which other
sports were to be excluded.

Core sports such as athletics, swimming and soccer must be
retained.

Thailand officials have thrown gymnastics a lifeline, saying
they are prepared to concurrently host the gymnastics in
cities neighboring the Laos border, such as Nongkhai, Ubon
Ratchathani, or Udon Thani.

"We were informed by the Southeast Asian Gymnastics
Confederation that there will be no gymnastics in the 25th SEA
Games in Laos, so the president of the Thailand Gymnastics
Association is currently negotiating with the Laos sport
minister to host the gymnastics on Thai soil at the same time
as the games in Laos, and the winner will receive the SEA
Games medal like it was being played in Laos," Sarayuth
Phanasak, secretary of Thailand's Gymnastic Association, said.

"We have seen that SEA Games is the chance for developing
gymnastic sport for athletes in Southeast Asian nations, and
if we don't have these kind of sports the gymnasts in this
region will lose their chance to develop, so that's why we're
pushing hard to have this."

International Herald Tribune Copyright © 2007 The
International Herald Tribune | www.iht.com

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Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
2617 Humanities Building
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu