RP vs. Vietnam in Spratly soccer

RP vs. Vietnam in Spratly soccer

MANILA (AFP): Vietnamese and Filipino troops garrisoned in
disputed South China Sea islands are to play a series of soccer
matches as a confidence-building measure, the Philippines defense
department said on Monday.

Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado and his Vietnamese
counterpart, Lt. Gen. Pham Van Tra agreed to hold the matches
following a proposal by a Filipino official during a visit to
Hanoi last week, a defense department statement said.

Filipino and Vietnamese troops garrisoned in the Spratly
islands will play one match in Philippine-held Thitu, known here
as Pag-asa, the government agency said.

A rematch will be held in Hanoi during the founding
anniversary of the Vietnamese armed forces on Dec. 22, it added.