Pele and Cantona to kick-start Phuket tourism

PHUKET: -- The government hopes to score a goal for tourism by inviting international soccer giants Pele and Eric Cantona to travel to the southern island of Phuket, as part of the latest drive to kick-start the province’s tourism industry following the December tsunami.

Today Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said that the presence of the Brazilian and French sporting heroes on the resort island would prove to the international community that Phuket had managed to pick itself up after the tsunami, and was ready to welcome visitors with open arms.

The 64 year-old Pele, thought by many to be the world’s greatest soccer star ever, will arrive in Thailand next month for an all-star charity match aimed at raising money for the tsunami relief effort. Also on the team, which Pele will represent rather than play for, will be Frenchman Eric Cantona, Brazilians Carlos Dunga and Careca, Germans Rudi Voller and Andreas Brehme, and Claudio Caniggia from Argentina.

The match on 30 July at Bangkok’s Supachalasai Stadium is expected to raise over Bt5 million baht for tsunami relief operations.

Phuket is currently hosting the 1st Asia-Europe (ASEM) Youth Games, and today the tourism and sports minister watched matches featuring Myanmar v. Indonesia and South Korea v. Sweden.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has expressed hope that the games will act as a bridge between the two continents, allowing young people to engage in cultural exchange.

The hosting of the ‘B’ division soccer matches by Phuket is a calculated move on the part of a government desperate to revive the province’s tourism fortunes following the December tsunami. In the middle of next month, a team made up of English Premier League players will travel to the province to play a friendly match there.

--TNA 2005-06-06

I wonder if ole Eric will show off his Thai boxing skills to the spectators on this occasion.

I wonder if ole Eric will show off his Thai boxing skills to the spectators on this occasion.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Pele and Cantona to kick-start Phuket tourism 

PHUKET: -- The government hopes to score a goal for tourism by inviting international soccer giants Pele and Eric Cantona to travel to the southern island of Phuket, as part of the latest drive to kick-start the province’s tourism industry following the December tsunami.

Today Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said that the presence of the Brazilian and French sporting heroes on the resort island would prove to the international community that Phuket had managed to pick itself up after the tsunami, and was ready to welcome visitors with open arms.

The 64 year-old Pele, thought by many to be the world’s greatest soccer star ever, will arrive in Thailand next month for an all-star charity match aimed at raising money for the tsunami relief effort. Also on the team, which Pele will represent rather than play for, will be Frenchman Eric Cantona, Brazilians Carlos Dunga and Careca, Germans Rudi Voller and Andreas Brehme, and Claudio Caniggia from Argentina.

The match on 30 July at Bangkok’s Supachalasai Stadium is expected to raise over Bt5 million baht for tsunami relief operations.

Phuket is currently hosting the 1st Asia-Europe (ASEM) Youth Games, and today the tourism and sports minister watched matches featuring Myanmar v. Indonesia and South Korea v. Sweden.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has expressed hope that the games will act as a bridge between the two continents, allowing young people to engage in cultural exchange.

The hosting of the ‘B’ division soccer matches by Phuket is a calculated move on the part of a government desperate to revive the province’s tourism fortunes following the December tsunami. In the middle of next month, a team made up of English Premier League players will travel to the province to play a friendly match there.

--TNA 2005-06-06

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You forgot Gustavo Poyet and Frank LeBouf, two of our ex-finest.