Friday, October 06, 2006 Negros booters opt out of RP team
NEGROS football standouts who were earlier invited to try out for slots in the RP national team for the forthcoming 2006 Asean football Cup (formerly Tiger Cup) have decided to forego joining the national squad.
They will, instead, concentrate on playing for their respective varsity teams in school-based competitions.
The three -- Jason Panhay of University of St. La Salle and West Negros College mainstay Robert Cañedo and Joel Ballo-alo Thursday said in the weekly sports variety show "Sports Jam" over Sky Cable Progress 11 that they have decided to focus on two tournaments -- the ongoing Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural & Educational Association (Nopsscea) and the 2006 National University Games (Unigames) which is scheduled to reel off on October 23 here in Bacolod City.
"I was prevailed upon by my coach (Freddie Lazarito) to concentrate on the Nopsscea and Unigames and look at chances of playing with the RP team later," Panhay, the Best Midfielder awardee of the 2006 Philippine Football Federation (PFF) National Men's Open Championship said.
Panhay was together with USLS defender Willian Valencia during the Sports Jam interview which is scheduled for airing at 9 p.m.
Meanwhile, both Ballo-allo and Cañedo also declared they have decided to prioritize their title defense in the Nopsscea as well as their stint in the Unigames this year.
"We are mindful of our obligations to our school and we are giving our team manager the option to decide on whether we should join the national team if head coach Aris Caslib calls us to report to Manila and join further training," Ballo-allo, the Best Defender awardee of the last PFF national Men's Open series, said.
Cañedo and Ballo-allo joined tryouts conducted during the last two weeks at the Panaad Stadium pitch when the national team had its training camp.
Another Negrense standout -- reigning PFF Men's Open Best Goalkeeper awardee Archie Bayquin also of USLS -- earlier told Sun.Star he has decided to skip the RP team tryouts in favor of landing a job. (HCV)
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