Standing Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the 25 th SEA Games Organising Committee, Mr Somsavat Lengsavad, said at the National Football Stadium on Sunday that Laos would set new records in the 2009 games.
He was speaking at a ceremony to welcome back the Lao athletes who had been competing in the 24 th SEA Games in Thailand over the last two weeks.
The athletes have returned home with five gold, seven silver and 32 bronze medals, far exceeding their expectations.
“We're setting our sights on winning 25 gold medals at the 25 th SEA Games in Vientiane in 2009,” said Mr Somsavat.
He explained that it hadn't been easy for the athletes, as many had been competing against high-level professional athletes.
“The medallists have come from various provinces, which I hope will encourage the Lao National Sports Committee to search far and wide for the best athletes to compete at the games in 2009,” he said.
In this year's games Lao athletes competed in track-and-field, swimming, archery, badminton, billiards, snooker, bowling, boxing, football, golf, handball, judo, karatedo, rugby, sepak takraw, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, wrestling, wushu, Muay Thai, pencak silat, petanque and a traditional boat race.
By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong Vientianetimes
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