VIENTIANE, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Lao petanque team aimed to earn the gold medals at the 29th SEA Games to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on August 21-28, local media reported Friday.
President of Lao Petanque Federation Khamla Vinlaythong will lead the nation's best eight male and eight female players and coaching staff to leave for Malaysia on Saturday ahead of competition.
The Lao players will compete in the men's and women's singles on Aug. 21, as well as doubles and mixed doubles on Aug. 22 with the teams' events to follow.
In the lead up to the games, the Lao petanque team has been training at the Dongdok campus of the National University of Laos under experienced Lao coach Vatsan Phommachan and a Thai coach. The team has also been housed at Lao Petanque Federation accommodation since May this year.
While confidence remains high in the Lao camp, the team will face its stiffest opposition from neighboring Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, according to Lao state-run media Vientiane Times.
Following the SEA Games, the Lao team will also eye the World Petanque Championship for women's teams and junior male players in China in October and the Asian Petanque Championships slated in Lao capital Vientiane this November.
Laos held onto its top ranking at the third ASEAN Petanque Championships on home soil last August after winning five gold, six silver and seven bronze medals from 12 events.
But Laos only won a silver medal in the petanque mixed doubles at the Asian Beach Games in Vietnam last year.
At the 28th SEA Games in Singapore in 2015, Laos won bronze medals in the mixed doubles and women's team.
