Currently, the Club has signed contracts with two well-known Vietnamese players — Doan Kien Quoc (Men’s Doubles Champion at the 25th SEA Games) and Ho Ngoc Thuan (Bronze Medalist at the 2009 National Championship) — as well as Coach Nguyen Phuc (Head Coach of the Ho Chi Minh City Men’s Team), who will serve as the Deputy Coach of the Club.
At present, the Club is in the process of inviting a renowned Chinese coach and plans to recruit other top-level and promising athletes from both Vietnam and China to join the team.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nghi, Deputy General Director of PetroVietnam Gas Corporation and Chairman of the Board of Directors of PetroVietnam Sports and Culture Joint Stock Company, stated:
“In 2010, our goal is to achieve high rankings in the men’s team, men’s singles, and men’s doubles events at the National Championship (Nhan Dan Newspaper Cup), the National Strong Teams Tournament, and other national-level competitions. By 2011, we aim to secure outstanding results at Southeast Asian and international tournaments.”
To accomplish these objectives, Mr. Nghi noted that the Club would invest boldly in recruiting athletes and coaches who meet the following criteria:
Coaches who are currently or formerly National Team Coaches, and have trained champions or high-ranking athletes at National, Southeast Asian, or international tournaments;
Athletes who are top-ranked players in Vietnam, or Chinese players ranked between 50th and 70th on the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) ranking list;
Young players under 20 years old who have achieved high rankings at the National Junior Championship, etc.
In the immediate term, the Club’s athletes and coaching staff will train at several potential venues such as the University of Physical Education and Sports in Tu Son – Bac Ninh. In the near future, the Club plans to invest in building a multi-purpose sports center in Vinh Phuc Province.
At the launching ceremony, a sponsorship agreement for the Club was signed between the PetroVietnam Sports and Culture Joint Stock Company and the PetroVietnam Exploration and Production Corporation. On this occasion, the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam) also decided to award VND 30 million to players Doan Kien Quoc and Dinh Quang Linh for winning the Men’s Doubles Gold Medal at the 25th SEA Games recently held in Vientiane, Laos.
(Sources: Nhan Dan, December 31; Thanh Nien, December 31; Tin Tuc, December 31; Sai Gon Giai Phong Sports, December 31)
