WISPA ARRIVES IN VIETNAM   [DRAW/RESULTS]

Just over two centuries ago, 1804 to be exact, King Gia Long requested that his kingdom be called Nam Viet, but was turned down by the Chinese dynasty of the time. So, with a little sleight of hand, Viet Nam it became.

(Viet, the largest ethnic group, Nam, meaning South, Vietnam, as the name became joined, affirmed independence from China. Since they, the French and most recently the communists (Cong) have loosened their grip, WISPA has arrived in the capital Hanoi as it begins to take off as a major Asian city. Hanoi was once named Thang Llong, after a mystical soaring dragon, and soaring is very apt now as the infrastructure is developed apace.

WISPA stars viewed Ricefields near Hanoi. Tournament begins tomorrow. (photo:©2008 WISPA)

After the bicycle era, the motorcycle has now really taken over, and with more and more cars in evidence too. But it is the ubiquitous motor scooter, along with the hooting, that are the most striking feature of both the centre of Hanoi and the countryside now. They are everywhere, seemingly everybody has one if they have upgraded from their bicycle. Everything from farm produce, industrial materials to the complete contents of homes are precariously loaded upwards and outwards of the chassis as they splutter by! 

Mopeds in Hanoi . (photo:©2008 WISPA)

And with crash helmets becoming compulsory a few months back if anybody ever invites you to buy into a share of a helmet shop bite their arm off. Vietnam is the thirteenth most populous country in the world at a smidgen over 85 million so there are a heck of a lot of scooter drivers! (And if that business opportunity doesn't arrive take a slice of a ‘Limp-in Clinic’ for as the pedestrians weave in the traffic a lot of feet get ridden over!)

The WISPA Vietnam Open is the second WISPA Premiere Series event of the year, following on from January's Hangzhou Open in China. WISPA has brought the prize money that it secured to the superbly appointed Hanoi Club, an oasis of calm amongst Hanoi's bustle. This ‘city’ country club features tennis, swimming pool, gym, golf driving range and two glass backwalled courts.

It is here that top seed Louise Crome from New Zealand, will try to hold off the Danish challenge of Line Hansen, and the rest of the players from the seven countries represented.

Meanwhile, local interest will be on view too as Swede Josefa Bertilsson has been based in Hanoi recently while her father works in the city.

But squash is so embryonic that the country has these two courts and little more than a sprinkling of courts at hotels in Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon). There is no squash association yet, but hopefully the initiation of one will be a legacy of the WISPA promotional event I Hanoi.    

But first on the eve of proceedings, an opportunity for the players to put on event T-shirts featuring the national flag star, together with nons, the local conical women's headwear.    

   

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