Cover Stories Summer 2001

Racetracks to Spread Throughout Vietnam and into Cambodia

[Editor's Note: The following information was excerpted from the transcript of a presentation made by Nguyen Ngoc My at the international conference of the World Greyhound Racing Federation held in Sydney, Australia, in November 2000.

Nguyen is the general manager of Sports and Entertainment Services (SES), the company operating the Ba Ria Vung Tau racetrack. Nguyen, who is also the chairman of Indo China Racing and Entertainment, has been granted a 30-year license for the development of greyhound racing in Cambodia. A racing facility has already been identified in Phomn Phenn.

The transcript was given to Louise Coleman, director of Greyhound Friends, Inc., Hopkinton, Mass., while she was in Dublin attending the International Greyhound Welfare Forum in February. The semi-annual meetings are chaired by the London-based National Canine Defence League.]

Greyhound racing commenced May 5, 2000 with an eight-race program. All races were eight dog fields over 450 meters (M). Race meetings were held once a week until mid-July when one distance race of 630 M per week was added. Beginning in mid-August, flying races of 260 M were introduced [no definition given] in conjunction with adding a second race meeting per week.

The track is a tight two-turn circuit of 393 M.

Dogs race in three distances: 260 M, 450 M, and 630 M. Betting turnover increased exponentially during the formative period. In less than eight weeks betting turnover grew by more than 100 percent. Average attendance at Saturday race meetings is 3,500 to 4,000.

There are six kennel blocks, each holding 38 greyhounds; three isolation blocks contain eight kennels used for quarantine purposes, and for sick and/or injured dogs.

SES has begun a breeding program to supplement the need to import racing greyhounds. The program is expected to be fully effective within two years.

Public ownership of greyhounds will be introduced in 2001. The greyhounds will be kept at Ba Ria and trained by SES trainers. The owners will pay a monthly training fee and receive prize money.

SES plans to develop six more dog tracks throughout Vietnam. Other planned locations are Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Can Tho.

In his conclusion, Nguyen said, " I am pleased to report that the local Vietnamese have embraced greyhound racing with similar passion to that of other countries which host the sport. It is therefore timely to move on and continue to develop a network of greyhound tracks throughout Vietnam."

For continued updates on the developing Vietnam situation, visit www.ameurogreyhoundalliance.org