Winners at 6-aside to compete in S Africa

HA NOI — The winners of the National 6-aside Football Tournament 2010 will represent Viet Nam at the world championships in South Africa this July.

The competition will see 128 teams competing from March 7 to April 4 in groups in Ha Noi, HCM City, Da Nang and Khanh Hoa province.

Each region will have 32 teams, divided into eight groups. The teams will play in a round-robin format with the top two qualifying for the knock-out stages. The last 16 will be whittled down to two who will go on to represent the region at the finals with the other six regional winners.

Apart from the cup and prize, the winners will also receive an all-expenses paid trip to South Africa for the world championships where they will face nine other countries.

As runners-up at the tournament in its debut last year, the Vietnamese side are expected to be more successful this July.

“I had a chance to be there and I can assure you I will never forget that moment,” said Xavier Codron, managing director of Budweiser Vietnam, which is the main sponsor of the local and international tournaments.

“For it’s first participation, Viet Nam left a remarkable impression on everyone at Old Trafford, including legends such as Bobby Robson, Dennis Irwin and even Sir Bobby Charlton,” he said.

Viet Nam surprised many fans by reaching the final last year, held in England, where they lost to powerhouse Argentina on penalties.

“With the participation of the defending champions Argentina, the US, Brazil and Germany, there will be tough competition,” said Codron.

“The standard will be high but I have great expectations and believe that Viet Nam, by showing the same team spirit and technical skills as last year, can win it this year,” he said.

At the same time, two Budweiser drinkers will be sent to South Africa through the Man of the Match promotion. They will have the honour of presenting the Man of the Match trophy to the best player of each game.

The Viet Nam national team will also travel to South Africa during the FIFA World Cup at the end of June. After a couple of days of sightseeing, they will attend two last-16 matches which could include teams such as the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal or even Brazil.

These games are to be held at Loftus Versfield Stadium which will host the World Cup’s opening and final matches. — VNS