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New Zealand National Soccer Team Visits UNIS Hanoi
UNIS Fields, 26 & 28 October 2006

UNIS was delighted to host the New Zealand National Soccer team at the school in October. The Kiwis were here on tour to get some exposure to Asian football with an eye to the Olympic Games and the next qualifying round of the soccer World Cup. In a round robin, they faced Vietnam, Thailand's senior men and Bahrain's Olympic U-23 selection. The newly-created “A” team made use of our sports fields for training during the week and then generously gave their time to our Saturday Soccer Programme.

Children from Grades 5 to 9 were thrilled to have the opportunity to learn from the team. It was clear that the team had a great deal of experiencing in training and from the start everyone was excited by the new exercises and the clear guidance. The team very quickly organised drills that helped the students with their attacking, defending and goal scoring skills, followed by informal games. All the soccer tips and drills were also greatly helpful to our Saturday Soccer coaches.

We were also very pleased to be able to host children from the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, a local NGO which assists rural families and street kids.

Thanks to the New Zealand Soccer Team and good luck in their future matches!

Note: Blue Dragon [www.bdcf.org] is a small NGO working in Hanoi and Bac Ninh with street kids, children with disabilities, rural families, and victims of trafficking. In partnership with the Red Cross and Hanoi Association for Relief of Handicapped Children, Blue Dragon's programs are aimed at long-term poverty relief, through education, training and individual programming.