Today, I received an e-mail from the president of the Table Football Association of Singapore.
Not the Football Association of Singapore, mind you. The Table Football Association of Singapore.
Yes, there's such a thing. It even has a website.
Anyway, here is the e-mail:
I am Tan Kok Wee, President of the Table Football Association of Singapore (TFAS). We are an established association registered with the ROS since 2009.
Our role is to promote and develop sports table football (aka SUBBUTEO) in Singapore via engagement in community and grassroots events, including partnership with SportsSG.
In Singapore, sports table football have grown steadily over the years, and our regional and global profile is raising from strength to strength.
In particular, we have been very successful in the Asia regional stage, winning the Asian Cup for the last 3 consecutive years.
We attached a media release on our recent successful Asian Cup in Tokyo and the establishment of an Asian confederation together with the sports table football associations of Japan and Australia.
We hope you would help us raise the awareness of this sport by carrying a report of the Asian Cup event in your esteem publication.
Similar reports on the Asian Cup was carried in the Japanese, Australian and UK media. A sample of the relevant links to reports in English are as follows:
ABC New (Australia):
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-11/australias-unheralded-subbuteo-team-beats-japan/8607988
Kyodo New (Japan): https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2017/06/cac53ed5dc0e-feature-hope-flickers-for-table-soccers-growth-in-japan-and-across-asia.html
Inside World Football (United Kingdom): http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2017/06/13/subbuteo-builds-global-football-fingerprint-asian-confederation/#.WUZjQBWIJsc.facebook
Please feel free to contact myself at 9853-7423 or our Honorary Secretary, Vikas Chandiramani at 9816 0501 if you need any clarification or further information.
We will be most willing to provide more information to you.
I remember Subbuteo from childhood but have never played it, and I'm shocked that anyone still does.
And that there are international Subbuteo tournaments.
And that there is a Table Football Association of Singapore.
So Singapore may suck at actual football, but in table football, we are Asian champions.
Now if only we could have a rematch with Argentina - in Subbuteo.
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