LOCAL FA Camiguin Misamis Oriental Regional Football Association (Cmorfa) will send four youth teams in different categories to the Festival of Football (FOF) set on March 23-25 at the Mindanao Civic Center Sports Complex in Tubod, Lanao del Norte.
Four local coaches under Cmorfa technical director Don Derequito have been appointed to mentor the teams to the three- day festival organized by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF), serving as qualifier for future national youth team members that will play in various tournaments abroad in June and July.
National coaches Marielle Benitez and Azkals legend Chieffy Caligdong will be present to select the deserving players for the national training pool.
Local coaches appointed are Asian Football Confederation (AFC) license coaches Wilfreu dela Riarte, Paul Cabio, Jeremy Jablo and Dennis Bongocan.
Dela Riarte will handle the Boys U15, Jablo the Boys U13, Cabio the Girls U15 and Bongocan the Girls U13.
Young hopefuls from the different schools in the locality showed up yesterday during the final tryout.
“We have very strong Boys U15 and Boys U13 players. It is very difficult for us to decide who will play in Tubod. They are very skillful. We will announce the 18 players in each of the categories this week,” said Dela Riarte who is also the head coach of CdO’s top club, the Higala Football Club.
Most members of the elementary boys Palaro team in Legaspi City in 2016 showed up with team captain Lyle Dy, and other members JL Cascara, Dave Mendoza, John Gementiza, Jesse Bajarla, Van Alvin Orarte, Emilio Rubio, Josh Go, and Kent Quieta.
Their former coach Mario Sumampong even came to support them.
Majority of the Vigan- bound Elementary Boys Palaro team also joined the Boys U13 tryouts.
They were led by Sam Salingay, John Quinito, Anton Bongocan, Macdo Acoon, Aaron Magadan, Vinson Manubag, Rawen Gementiza, Andy Lugod, Van Sambaan, Kyle Chavez, Mamat Cascara, Jared Tan, Kid Yañez, Earl Cotamora, and Jrand Hortellano.
Last year’s Palaro player Terrence Mayne also showed up.
Very few lady players came for the tryouts in the Girls U13 and Girls U15. Coaches Paul Cabio and Dennis Bongokan might also call up players who did not turn up for the trials.
However, top players from Lumbia FC, Higala FC and Bulua Strikers FC were around.
The Cmorfa teams will play against teams from Zamboanga FA, Misamis-Ozamis FA, Zamboanga del Norte Dipolog FA, Zamboanga del Sur-Pagadian FA, and Iligan City-Lanao del Norte Del Sur RFA. (l.biantan@gmail.com)