Football tournament of Vietnamese community in Japan held

FC Real Robama members celebrate after winning the tournament. (Photo: VNA)

Tokyo (VNA) – FC Real Robama has become the champion at the football tournament of the Vietnamese people residing in Japan’s Kanto region in 2021 (FAVIJA Kanto up).

The tournament, which wrapped up on December 19, attracted the participation of 80 teams divided into 16 groups. The runner-up belonged to FC AE38 while FC Tokai and Sao Vang JP FC grabbed third place.

The total value of the prizes at the tournament is 4.9 million JPY (43,100 USD). The winning team also received a ball signed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during his recent visit to Japan.

FAVIJA President Do Quang Ba, who is also head of the organising board, said safety for the event is a top priority amid COVID-19 risks. All players must be fully vaccinated, with the second shot being injected at least 14 days before the tourney, or test negative for COVID-19.

The tournament is not only a sports playground for health training and community engagement but is also meaningful when the organisers approved the tournament to raise funds to support disadvantaged Vietnamese people in Japan, especially those facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The annual tournament is organised by the football association of Vietnamese people in Japan (FAVIJA) under the auspices of the Embassy of Vietnam in Japan. It is the largest culture-sport event of the Vietnamese community in Japan at large and Kanto, in particular, this year, as the COVID-19 situations in the region improved within the past month./.