Sports fans to be allowed into venue for National Games with Covid-19 vaccination card
 
Sports fans who want to watch the 11th National Games, expected to be held in Xieng Khuang province later this year, must have their Covid-19 vaccination cards in order to enter the venues.
A stadium was specially built in the province for the event and sports fans across the country have been waiting for the games since 2019, since life across the country was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Phonsavanh, the capital of Xieng Khuang province.

The game were postponed three times for various reasons, most recently because of the Covid-19 outbreak.
The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Health and UNICEF recently took a team of journalists to Xieng Khuang to identify key challenges in increasing Covid-19 vaccination coverage in the region. The reporters also visited the provincial Health Department.
The Acting Director of the provincial Health Department, Dr Bouaphanh Vongmachane, told the media that the games are expected be held at the end of this year.
“Each spectator must have a Covid-19 vaccination card to pass through the doors into the stadium,” he said.
Laos has set a target of achieving 80 percent vaccination coverage by the end of 2022, and many provinces have reached the goal while some provinces are moving towards it.
The decision to stage the games as soon as possible was made by Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh on December 27 last year.
The 25 disciplines that were originally planned for the National Games will be reduced due to financial constraints. Events will be staggered, with two or three competitions taking place each week to reduce crowding to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The opening ceremony will be attended by sports teams from the provinces and ministries. Provincial officials will prepare a show involving 200 performers for the opening ceremony and limit the number of people attending the event.
The main football stadium, which will be used for most of the events, was built in 2019 and is in good condition.
The last National Games was hosted by Oudomxay province in 2014, while the 12th edition of the games is scheduled to be held in Vientiane in 2023.
While anticipating an influx of visitors, authorities in Xieng Khuang are not concerned about a lack of accommodation. They said there is plenty of accommodation for all visitors.
Xieng Khuang has changed greatly over the past decade. The provincial capital of Phonsavanh, located in Paek district, now has a large number of hotels, guesthouses and restaurants, and plenty of lively activities.
During a recent visit, I stayed at a guesthouse in Phonsavanh, and although I didn’t have a panoramic view of the town because some tall buildings obscured the view from my room’s windows, I enjoyed my time there.
The weather in the first week of September was delightful and everything seemed to gleam in the early morning light. The days were quite hot, but the nights were a little cooler.
A popular restaurant called Hot Pot serves up dishes of the same name, locally known as sinchoum, and it is well worth seeking out. The restaurant is not difficult to find as it is centrally located. It is famous for its raw meats, vegetables and eggs cooked in boiling broth, which are nourishing and not just great to taste.
The Xieng Khuang bird is another popular dish on local menus. This refers to the swallow, or nok aen toung, and is a specialty found only in Xieng Khuang.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update August 18, 2022)