The Lao Tug of War Federation intends to revive the sport under new leadership, with plans to take it to the national level and expand its regional presence next year.

At a press conference on August 6, the federation introduced its new management team led by former Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Alunkeo Kittikhoun, with support from the Ministry of Education and Sports.

The newly appointed team will oversee key aspects of the sport, including fundraising, competition management, marketing and building international relations. Alunkeo also mentioned plans to develop a comprehensive manual of tug of war rules and competition procedures. This guide will be distributed to schools to promote the sport in schools and increase student participation.

The team's first priority is to prepare a strong group of competitors for the tug-of-war competition in Thailand next month. They also plan to organize a national tug-of-war event in Laos later this year.

Deputy Minister of Education and Sports Kingmano Phommahaxai expressed confidence in the new leadership. He stressed the importance of working with international and regional organizations to increase the popularity of the sport.

Looking ahead, the federation intends to include tug of war in the national games in the capital Vientiane in 2025 and take part in the South Korean Games East Asia, which will be held in Thailand.

Tug of war was once part of the Olympic Games, but has since been dropped. Established in 2016, the Lao Tug of War Federation has achieved success in regional competitions, including third place at the ASEAN Tug of War Championships in Pattaya, Thailand.

Source: tourismlaos

Read also: The Charm of the Arab World: Exploring Hidden Gems