For 2018, British International School, Ho Chi Minh City (BIS HCMC) were once again entered into the highest group for the U15 FOBISIA Games at Thanyapura in Phuket, Thailand.
Competing against some of the biggest and strongest sporting schools in Asia, we were pitted against the likes of Bangkok Patana, Alice Smith KL, Kellet Hong Kong, British School Manila and three other very competitive schools in what turned out to be an extremely high standard multi-sport tournament. BIS HCMC took 31 of our very talented and hard working sports stars, each of whom had trained for 5-6 hours per week for the past two months leading up to this event.
On the first day, the level of competition was truly exceptional with international standard swimmers and athletes competing for the medal positions. BIS students were absolutely outstanding all day. The level of effort, determination and commitment the children showed was extremely gratifying and a testament to the BIS spirit that we portray when we compete.
In the pool there were three schools who shared the podium for the majority of the races. BIS were among another 3 schools who competed to join them at the medals ceremony for each race. BIS had their fair share of these medals and our successes are as follows:
BIS stepped it up 10 notches at the athletics, incredibly gaining medal positions in over 65% of all events - a fantastic achievement! We had first places galore, a plethora of second places and third places appearing from every part of the arena. There are simply too many to mention here. School records tumbled by the minute. These epic feats are listed below:
The BIS bravehearts once again did themselves and the school proud on an action-packed second day on the court and pitch.
It was a hard day at the office for the boys basketball team. They were placed in a group of four with the two best teams at the competition. They succumbed to the extremely strong Alice Smith team, who eventually finished third in the tournament, going down 4-24 in the first game. In the second game, BIS should have won the game against Bangkok Prep but allowed them to claw the game back to a 20-20 draw. In the final game, eventual champions British School Manila were too strong and were 34-14 winners against a tenacious BIS side. Due to points difference, BIS were then placed into the 7th/8th play off game, which is a shame as they were far better than this place suggests. BIS won this game very easily, beating Park City by 20-0.
The girls fared well in their football competition, easily beating the first two schools Alice Smith and Bangkok Prep 2-0 and 4-0 respectively. They came unstuck against eventual winners Manila in their third and final league game but still made the semi finals. After finishing 1-1 after full and extra time, the game against Kellet went to penalties and our girls unfortunately missed out on the final in the dreaded shoot-out. Into the 3rd/4th play off they went into an early lead in the first half. However, they conceded a last second goal at the end of the game and then a last minute goal at the end of extra time to go down to Bangkok Patana. A cruel way to finish an excellent day for the girls.
The teams went into the third and final day tired but full of optimism. From the first game the BIS teams played their hearts out for the cause.
In the football, BIS boys started the day with a 2-1 victory against Park City and then were up against a very solid KLASS team, going down 1-0. In the next game they stepped it up a gear and beat Kellet Hong Kong by 2-0. Into the semi finals the boys came up against a superb Patana school, who ran away with the game by 4-0. The last game of the day was in the 3rd/4th play off and again BIS had the better of the play, but the same KLASS player made it a 1-0 loss. Unfortunately this meant no trophy but the team should be proud of their excellent style of football and wonderful work ethic.
For the girls basketball, they started strong with a solid victory against Park City winning 8-2. Next up was another tough game against KLASS, but BIS played expansive basketball and came out easy winners 14-4. A third group stage victory against Kellet with a scoreline of 18-10 sent them into the semi finals. BIS dominated the semi final against Manila, but a staggering number of missed free throws was the difference between making the finals and not. BIS narrowly lost 12-13 but played some brilliant basketball. In the 3rd/4th play off final, BIS once again came up against Kellet, but this time it was a much closer game, in terms of play if not scoreline. BIS came out victors 18-9 to take the 3rd place trophy.
The gala dinner was a great way to finish an excellent few days. BIS were awarded the athletics trophy to the ecstasy of our students and proud coaches! The team were also featured heavily in the wrap up video, which we will share along with the photos once we receive these from SCA. Finally we'd like to say a massive thank you to the parents who were cheering on from the sidelines in Phuket and the messages of support from those back in Ho Chi Minh City.
At BIS HCMC, sport is more than just a game. It’s a vital part of a well-rounded education. Through dynamic fixtures, inter school competitions and inclusive sport opportunities, our students are encouraged to challenge themselves, work collaboratively and take pride in representing their school.
At BIS HCMC, our story is one of connection, continuity, and care — a place where learning begins with curiosity and ends with confident, compassionate graduates ready to shape the world. Earlier this year, we witnessed a moving reminder of this journey, as eighteen members of our Year 13 Class of 2025 returned to the place where it all began: Early Years Foundation Stages.
We are thrilled thatfour of our Year 13 students have recently gained offers from ‘Elite’ USA universities.
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