Wednesday, October 31, 2007 Clubs gear up for prov'l men's open football elims
FOLLOWING the excitement that characterized the men's football competition of the 12th Philippine National University Games (Unigames) recently, local sides are already starting to firm up their preparations for the forthcoming Negros Occidental provincial men's open eliminations for this year's Philippine Football Federation (PFF) National Men's Open Championship.
Defending provincial men's open champion University of St. La Salle is supposed to have already kicked off their training for the event according to information gathered by SunStar Bacolod from USLS players who saw action in the recent Unigames.
Meanwhile, 2006 losing provincial finalist West Negros College is also expected to kick off its team training soon as confirmed by WNC head coach and and former RP team mainstay Norman Fegidero, Jr. "Our reinforcements have already confirmed they are seeing action for us so we are definitely starting regular training soon," Fegidero said.
USLS, mentored by Ramon Janeo, finished behind National Caapital Region-Philippine Army in last year's PFF Men's Open Centennial National Championship which was held here at the Panaad Stadium hosted by the Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA).
The La Salle side tapped the services of Fegidero and WNC varsitarians Joel Ballo-allo and Robert Cañedo during last year's national competition where the host team representing NOFA was the defending champion having won the said title the previous year in Iloilo also at the expense of NCR.
The other reinforcements for the Negros Occidental squad during the last national championship were former national Ali Rojas Go, ex-Wesnecans Wilson dela Cruz, Philip Caballero and Edward Sacapaño as well as the late Dave Fegidero.
Meanwhile, reports from Manila indicated that this year's staging of the annual PFF National Under-19 Championship has been scrapped allegedly due to the holding soon of the Philippine Football Federation election of officers fueling speculations that this might be the reason why NOFA has not announced a resumption of the stalled NOFA U-19 provincial eliminations'.
A source close to the PFF told SunStar Bacolod Tuesday that in a so-called 'football summit' recently held somewhere in Mindanao, the five prospective candidates for PFF president were invited to share their respective campaign platforms. The list of presidentiables reportedly included Nonong Araneta, Mari Martinez, Ed Formoso, NOFA president and former fourth district Rep. Carlos O. Cojuangco, and another unidentified hopeful.
