National Prez, Phil Johns
Vietnam Swans National President, Phil Johns provides the Welcome Address for this weekend’s 2010 Indochina Cup. (Click for the 2010 Indochina Cup Footy Record prepared by Ross McRae, Josh Little and the competing teams.)
Dear Players, Officials, Sponsors and Spectators
The Vietnam Swans are delighted to host the 2010 Annual Indochina Cup and tomorrow will warmly welcome you all to RMIT University’s magnificent facilities.
Last month, the Lao Elephants, Thailand Tigers and Vietnam Swans all played in the 11th Annual Asian Championships in Shanghai. Meanwhile, the newly formed Cambodian Cobras were bristling on the Phnom Penh sidelines planning their debut next year.
Tomorrow, we will play for the 4th (!) Annual Indochina Cup.
Before, a casual observer may have been dismissive of footy in Indochina. But not now. With the advent of a genuine footy team in Cambodia, tomorrow’s 4th Indochina Cup may well be described as the tournament’s Crystallizing Cup. We have history, direction and momentum. The 5th Indochina Cup, for example, has already been locked in to be played in land-locked Lao next November. Make no mistake, the Indochina Cup is fast becoming another major fixture on Asian footy’s increasingly busy calendar.
The Vietnam Swans enjoy a very special relationship with these teams. The Thailand Tigers played the then Hanoi Swans in our first tournament back in 2003 and invited us to their incredible 5th ANZAC Weekend in Kanchanaburi last year.
They also hosted the 8th Asian Championships in August, 2007 which was the stage for the debut of our new, national, Vietnam Swans team. Boosting our numbers that day were five guys from Lao and one from Cambodia. After the Champs, those five Lao guys formed their country’s first footy club, the Lao Elephants. Within three short months, the Tigers, Elephants and Swans found ourselves playing a tournament in Hanoi which would become known as the inaugural Indochina Cup.
In 2008, the one guy at the Champs who had played for us from Cambodia set up the Cambodian Kangas. And Phnom Penh hosted the 2nd Indochina Cup. Unfortunately, the Kangas were a one-jump wonder. However, four months ago, the Cambodians returned to international football, this time as the Cobras. And this time it smells very different. The Swannies have already played them twice and they are the real deal which makes for a very exciting addition to Asian football. It is tremendous to welcome Cambodia to their 2nd Indochina Cup.
Tomorrow will be a great day and a key reason for that is the Vietnam Swans National Sponsors – four of which I would like to specifically mention: Linfox, Pest Free and Jim Beam. They were with us when it especially mattered: at the beginning of our Club’s journey when they believed that our energy and smarts would grow a track record. The 4th, Coca Cola, has come in at the 11th hour to support our tournament with cases of Joy Water for the players.
The Vietnam Swans also congratulate the Saigon Shooters and the other netball teams which will compete in the Indochina Netball Cup this weekend.
On a reflective note, the Vietnam Swans will proudly wear black armbands in honour of Dave “Flyer” Kainey’s mother.
The Vietnam Swans look forward to mixing with you all over the weekend – and then again in Lao next November when we meet for the 5th Annual Indochina Cup.
If you love the footy at the 4th Indochina Cup, join millions of Vietnamese and honk yer horn.
Honk! Honk!
