Famous Japanese footballers to visit Laos
The Japanese professional footballer Association (JPFA) and some Japan's favorite footballers are planning to visit Laos after finishing Japanese league play at the end of this year.
The delegation will be led by JPFA Chairman Mr. Toshiya Fujita and will be the first time that he and Japaneses footballers have visited Laos.
The JPFA will discuss collaboration with the football federation and the Ministry of education and sports to develop the nation's players and lao sports, said director general of the international relations department of the lao national sports committee, Mr. Soulasith Oupravanh.
The lao football team plans to compete in the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia in November and the ninth National Games to be held in Luang Prabang province in December.
During the visit, the national team will play the Japanese in a friendly match and expect to gain valuable experience in the process because the JPFA has skillful players and the Japanese league currently competes at the international level.
The talented footballers of Laos will be able to train and play in Japan and will be supported by the JPFA, Mr. Soulasith said.
Currently, the Lao players in the U-16 category are talented and will play in ASEAN tournament in Vientiane next month.
After finishing the ASEAN event, the team will prepare to play in a qualifying round, in Vientiane, for an Asian level tournament this year.
The JPFA is also looking for a professional karate-do trainer in Japan who can come to Laos and train the national team, Mr. Soulasith said.
The Lao football team is training hard to prepare for the first World cup qualifying match in Cambodia on June 27 and will face the Cambodia team again in the second qualifying round in Vientiane on July 3.
