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.