Vietnam Airlines aircraft designated to carry VN players back home
Hanoi (VNA) – The national flag
carrier Vietnam Airlines arranged an Airbus A321 plane designated to transport
the Vietnamese sports delegation back home from the 2018 Asian Games (ASIAD) in
Jakarta on September 2.
The aircraft was scheduled to land in the Noi Bai International Airport in
Hanoi at 12:30.
Earlier in the morning, a ceremony was held at the Soekarno Hatta international
airport in Jakarta to see off Vietnamese players. Attending the event were
Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Pham Quang Vinh; Ambassador Tran Duc Binh,
head of the Vietnamese Delegation to ASEAN; and representatives from the
Vietnamese community in Indonesia.
A programme titled “Proud of Vietnam” will be
held by the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) from 5-7pm on the same day at the My Dinh
national stadium to honour outstanding athletes.
The Vietnamese delegation finished 17th in the
tally of the ASIAD 2018 with 4 gold, 16 silver and 18 bronze medals.
Vietnam bagged one silver
medal in the women’s sepak takraw on September 1, the last official competition
day of the continental sporting event.
The same day, Vietnam
missed the bronze medal in the men’s football after losing to the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) 3-4 in a penalty shootout.
The country sent 352 athletes to compete at the
event. Vietnam pocketed four gold medals in pencak silat (men’s tanding 70-75
kg and 90-95 kg), women’s long jump and women’s lightweight quadruple sculls
categories.
The Asian Games is the world’s second biggest
multiple sports event after the Olympics. This year’s edition, held in Jakarta
and Palembang of Indonesia, has drawn 16,000 competitors and officials from 45
countries and territories.
At the 2014 ASIAD, Vietnam won one gold, 10
silver and 25 bronze medals, ranking 21st in the overall medal tally.-VNA