The first ASEAN Friendship Table Tennis Tournament organised by the Consulate General of Indonesia in HCM City was attended by 38 amateur competitors from Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam on Sept. 24.

Representatives of the ASEAN Consulate General in HCM City, HCM City Union of Friendship Organisations and the municipal Department of External Relations came to take part the tournament, which is expected to be held annually.

The tournament, held to recognise Indonesia as the current chairman of ASEAN, aimed to increase solidarity and friendship among the ASEAN community.

"I hope this gathering can become an event to enhance people-to-people contacts, and to foster friendship among communities of ASEAN-member countries in HCM City ," said Bambang Tarsanto, consul general of Indonesia in HCM City , at the opening ceremony.

"The ASEAN community benefits the peoples of Southeast Asia as well as the global community," he said. /.