From December 7-9 Prem FC went to Rugby International School in Chonburi to play at the BSS (Bangkok Soccer Schools) tournament. These tournaments host some of the best football academies in Asia. A. Sam and A. Mark, who took and coached the players, tell the stories of each team:

A. Mark: U9
The U9 team went the tournament knowing that they would be the only school there competing against Club and Academy teams who have 100-200 players to chose from. This allowed the players to set other goals and to realise that touring and being part of team provides many opportunities to grow and learn. The U9’s surprised themselves from the start winning 2-0 against Bangkok Soccer Schools Club, but for the rest of their tournament, they realised the big challenge ahead against these enormous and skillful clubs. Our students held their heads high throughout the tournament, played with wonderful sportsmanship and fair play, battled through 8 games in 2 days, and represented Prem with great pride.

A. Sam: U12
The u12 team had a fantastic tournament, reveling in their ‘underdogs’ status. The team managed to get an early win on the board, finishing 3-1 winners in their first match, with Thadee scoring a hat trick. This was followed up by another 1-0 win and then some tough games against teams of outstanding quality. Although we lost these games, Prem did score a brilliant team goal against the eventual tournament winners AFZA, a team from Kuala Lumpur. We defended like lions, led by the lioness June! and Jules was sensational in goal. Prem showed excellent sportsmanship throughout the tournament, making lots of friends along the way. We were even cheered on by other teams as we progressed in the tournament. On The final day of the tournament, the players won their semi final game 1-0 thanks to a thunderbolt finish from Cameron. We then fought bravely in the final, eventually losing 1-0 to a very good Japanese team. The players were sad for only a few moments as they knew they had done very well. We collected runners up medals and clapped the opposing teams to end a fun and rewarding tournament. All the players should be extremely proud of their efforts.