Laos to host major volleyball tournaments in 2017

By:  Xinhua News, May 21, 2017

The Lao Volleyball Federation says it is planning to hold national and international level volleyball events in 2017.

The annual national Minister of Education and Sports' Cup tournament is scheduled to be held in July, while the Asian Vientiane U19 Beach Volleyball Championship is slated for the end of this year.

The Minister of Education and Sports' Cup will look to hone skills of its male and female volleyball players from clubs both in the capital Vientiane and from other provinces across the country.

Lao volleyball coach Inthaphone Chengsavang was quoted the Vientiane Times on Sunday as saying that the country will create chances for players to up their level of play, adding that they will limit the number players in the U23 category.

So far, participants slated to take part in the Minister of Education and Sports' Cup tournament include the men's and women's volleyball teams from the Lao Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, National University of Laos, Vientiane Secondary School and teams from Savannakhet and Luang Prabang provinces, among others.

Meanwhile, Inthaphone said the volleyball federation also plans to hold the second Asian Vientiane U19 Beach Volleyball Championships on the Mekong River's shores in Lao capital Vientiane while the federation's target is to develop Lao men's and women's beach volleyball teams to compete with neighboring countries.

The Lao Volleyball Federation also hosted the first annual Asian Vientiane U19 Beach Volleyball Championship in May 2016 in coordination with the Asian Volleyball Confederation.

Beach volleyball teams from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, China's Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Iran, Oman, and Laos competed in the event in 2016.