VISITING Malaysia went home empty-handed at the end of the two-day 2nd RP-Malaysia Veterans' Football Tournament that drew to a close Sunday, May 30 at the Panaad pitch of the Panaad Sports and Recreational Park in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City.
Cagayan de Oro-Mizamis Oriental lost, 2-0, to Iloilo and eventually settled for third runner-up honors with Iloilo taking second runner-up honors.
Meanwhile, reigning champion Bacolod United FC settled for first runner-up honors after visiting Loyola FC of Manila nipped the Negrenses, 1-0, to take this year's title.
The annual event hosted here by Executive Village Football Club headed by businessman Rafael Lizares in cooperation with Bacolod United FC and Real Negrense FC, will be staged in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia next year as announced during last Friday's managers' meeting by Tony Mariadas, publisher of Malay Mail and head of delegation of the visiting Malaysian ex-nationals.
The teams that saw action this year were: Malaysia, Bacolod United FC, Real Negrense FC, Talisay-Minuluan FC, Erco-Cebu FC, NORFA, Dumaguete, Cagayan de Oro, CMOFA, Blue Guards-Manila and Loyola FC-Manila.
The visit of the Malaysian team to Bacolod was coordinated by former Philippine Football Federation (PFF) general secretary Edward Magallona while match commissioner of the tournament was Warren Concepcion with Dennis Estaniel, chairman of the Referees Committee of the Negros Occidental Football Association (Nofa) as referees commissioner.