HCM City will hire Indonesian Adi Pratama to practise with the country's top player Nguyen Tien Minh to help him achieve a high level of fitness before the London Olympics.

As part of the plan, approved by the HCM City and Viet Nam Badminton Federations, Pratama, the world No 286 who played in the quarter-final of the world youth event in 2007, will train with Minh from June 22 to July 22.

The municipal federation will spend US$4,500 to have Pratama practise with Minh, currently world No 11.

Pratama was chosen due to other top players being unavailable at the time.

The HCM City-born player will compete in the Singapore and Indonesia Open before going to London.-VNS