Recap: Ket Noi Futsal Tournament 2022

The Ket Noi Futsal Tournament 2022 — the first community sports event of the year for the NPO Vietnamese Association in Japan (the “Association”) — successfully took place at Omori Furusato no Koen pitch on Saturday, November 26. Although the weather wasn’t entirely cooperative, with heavy rain in the first 30 minutes, the players’ sportsmanship — energized by the ongoing 2022 Qatar World Cup atmosphere — gave both spectators and participants a fun, competitive day of football together.

Three teams took part: Cuong va Nhung Nguoi Ban, Wrestling FC, and Samurai FC, made up mostly of young Vietnamese currently studying or working in the greater Tokyo area. The three-team format was simple: each team played a single round-robin, and the two highest scorers advanced to the final — four matches in total. Group-stage matches ran 30 minutes each, and the final ran 40 minutes.

This year’s championship cup went to Cuong va Nhung Nguoi Ban, who beat Wrestling FC 5–2 in the final. Many players told the organizers they hoped for a bigger tournament next year.

NPO Vietnamese Association in Japan