Badminton player eyes SEA Games medal
The country's most experienced badminton player at the national and international level, Yothin Latsavong, is hopeful of winning a medal in the 25th SEA Games this December.
Yothin, 24, has been training hard at the police indoor court in Vientiane every day since February.
The Lao Badminton Federation will send him to compete in the World Championship 2009 in India from August 10-16.
He said it was a good opportunity and the first time for him to gain experience from a truly international championship.
He attended the Suwon Badminton Asia Championship 2009 in the Republic of Korea last March.
In the first round of the championship he beat his opponent from Uzbekistan 2-0, but lost to a Thai opponent 0-2 in the second round.
He said experience at the international level would assist him to gain confidence in his challenge to win a medal in the 25th Games at home.
His younger brother Anousone is the latest player to join the national team, after wining a silver medal at the eighth National Games in Champassak province last December.
Yothin won two silver medals in the men's team (four players) and in the men's doubles after losing to an opponent from Champassak in the final round.
The two brothers were representatives of the Ministry of Public Security.
He is employed as a police officer and has the rank of second lieutenant, working in the sports division of the General Political Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security.
He lives in Bungkha-nhong village in Sisattanak district.
He plans to compete in the badminton league in Iran next year, before returning to compete in the Ninth National Games in Luang Prabang province in December 2010.
He said he still enjoys every aspect of the sport, and will continue preparations to compete at the national and international levels.
Yothin became the top badminton player in Laos after wining a gold medal in the men's singles and a silver medal in the men's team events at the seventh National Games, held in Savannakhet province in 2005.
He competed in the China Open 2006, but was unsuccessful in his medal hunt. It was a similar case at the 22nd SEA Games in Vietnam in 2003 and in the 24th SEA Games in Thailand in 2007, something he hopes to rectify on his home court.
The Lao Badminton Federation did not send a national team for the 23rd SEA Games in the Philippines in 2005.
By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
June 18 , 2009
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