2002's ten outstanding young people acclaimed



Ha Noi, Mar. 6 (VNA) - The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union's Central Committee has selected 10 out of the 39 nominees as the most outstanding young stars of last year. These people, coming from cultural, academic, scientific and technological, business, security and defense, youth activity, sports and art fields, include:

- Miss Vietnam 2002 Pham Thi Mai Phuong, 18, a 12th-grader at the Tran Phu Secondary High School for Gifted Students in Hai Phong City. A bright representative of Viet Nam's culture, she placed 15th among the world's 20 most beautiful girls at the Miss World 2002 Contest.

- Dang Ngoc Duong, a 19-year-old student of the Hanoi National University's Natural Sciences College. He brought home a bronze medal from last year's International Physics Olympiad.

- Van Hong Van, 22, a student of the Ho Chi Minh City Technology University. He was honoured with the second prize at a contest for students with outstanding scientific research achievements. He also came second in the VIFOTEC contest for technological initiatives, using software design for pre-fabricated concrete bridges.

- Hoang Minh, 34. Hailed as outstanding entrepreneur of Ho Chi Minh City for three consecutive years of 1999, 2000 and 2001, this executive manager of the Sannam Co., Ltd. gained the "Red Star" prize last year, an annual honorary award granted by the State to the best entrepreneurs.

- Huynh Manh Thang, 33. This pilot of Squadron 3, Regiment 937, Division 370 of the Air Force earned a medal for his bravery by the Youth Union. - Y Thu - E Ban, 30. Born into an Ede ethnic minority family and trained to be a policeman, he was honoured for excellent performance in business at the Public Security Service of Dac Lac province, the Central Highlands.

- Nguyen Van Ung, 23. He lost his life while participating in a youth's campaign called "Voluntary Summer 2002" in the central province of Nghe An. As a youth activist and a former student of the Vinh Teachers' Training College, he left in Vietnamese youth's memory a bright example in devoting his life to the youth's movement.

- Pham Thi Thu Thanh, 32. Rising over difficulties as a handicapped person living in Ho Chi Minh City, she has glorified her country with three gold medals from the 2002 Asian-Pacific Games for the Disabled.

- Huynh Hoa Phuong, 22. Weaving into listeners' hearts sweet melodies of the "Cai Luong" traditional opera, the singer of the Huong Tram (Cajeput odour) Troupe in the southernmost province of Ca Mau snatched a special prize at a last year's festival for professional art performers in the southern region, home to this form of folklore singing.