NOW on its 20th season, the Aboitiz Football Cup is expanding its horizons with a planned football clinic and a Luzon edition later this year.
“We felt humble by the dent that the Aboitiz Cup has made in the community,” said Aboitiz senior brand manager Farrah Mayol during the 20th edition’s launching at their Banilad office.
Mayol said that for this year, they will hold a clinic in Balamban--which will be free--and they will hold an Aboitiz Cup in Batangas which will adopt the categories and rules of Cebu’s biggest annual tournament.
For this year, the 20th season will open on Sept. 29 with 17 categories, from the youngest Players 7 division all the way to the 45-and above division.
On the other hand, Cebu Football Association Ricky Dakay said that the tournament has become the standard for all the other regional football associations in the country.
“I believe that the Aboitiz Cup is one of the mot prestigious tournament in the Philippines. In every board meeting of the PFF (Philippine Football Federation) is used as a template for other FA (football associations) to emulate,” said Dakay.
He added that the Aboitiz Cup is always included whenever the PFF submits its reports on grassroots development to the Asian Football Confederation and Fifa.
“The Aboitiz Cup is not known only in Cebu but also in the AFC and Fifa. It is the Cup that has overflown,” said Dakay.
As a testament to the tournament’s longevity, some of those who started their football career in the P7 division playing for different schools are teaming up to form their own Men’s Open team and might even be a darkhorse in the division.
“We have a new team, which is made up of players from Springdale, Ateneo and Don Bosco. These guys started playing in the Aboitiz Cup, some have gone to the national youth teams,” said CFA vice president Rico Navarro.
Some of the famous products of the Aboitiz Cup who have played for the national youth teams and even the professional teams are Val Calvo, Paolo Pascual and Niko Villacin.
The new team is expected to give the returning Hiroshi, Crazy Horse and former champion Leylam a run for their money in the men’s open division.
Meanwhile, aside from holding its first Aboitiz Cup in Luzon, there is also a planned tournament pitting the champions of the Aboitiz Cup in Luzon against the champions of the Aboitiz Cup in Cebu.
“There is a partial agreement with the Aboitiz to hold a Champions league,” said tournament director Glen Quisido.
Quisido also reminded the coaches that since they will be targeting to finish the tournament by December, they will limit the number of participants in some categories.
“During our final coaches meeting tomorrow (today), we will finalize the teams and the drawing of lots and we will have to have a limit so we can finish by December. Basi gani kung ma-late submit sa meeting, ma sirad-an na,” he said. (ML)