CAGAYAN de Oro’s top goalkeepers, Chavonne Joelle Uy of St. Mary’s School in Barangay Macasandig and Ellaliene Micabalo of Lumbia National High School will lead the Cagayan de Oro girls futsal team in the Mindanao Leg of the 2019 Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy, February 3-9 in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
Uy is a member of Oro’s top youth football club HIgala FC which have been dominating local girls competition while Micabalo had also once played for Higala FC.
Micabalo led his mother team, Lumbia Raptors FC, to a third place finish in the Girls U19 category of the 14th Rosevale Football Cup.
Uy, the niece of Cagayan de Oro Vice-Mayor Kikang Uy, won the Best Goalkeeper Award in the Girls U19 division of the 14th Rosevale Football Cup and led Higala FC to a championship finish.
Competing the line-up of the Oro girls futsal team are players from Bulua National High School, St. Mary’s Academy-Carmen, Pagatpat National High School, St. Mary’s School Macasandig, and Xavier University.
Team coach Niño Lazo of Xavier University is confident they will give a decent showing against top teams from Mindanao in this elimination tournament for athletes 14 years old and under.
“It is difficult to gather all these players from different schools for practices but we will try our best to compete,” said Lazo, the most successful futsal coach in Cagayan de Oro.
Lazo and his Xavier University girls team has been representing Region 10 in the Palarong Pambansa for the past four years now.
Aside from futsal, Cagayan de Oro is participating in boys and girls basketball (25), indoor volleyball boys and girls (24), arnis (19), karatedo (17), softball girls (14), table tennis and futsal (12 each), boxing and athletics (9 apiece), badminton (8), chess (7), and beach volleyball (4). They are sending a total of 249 persons including coaches and team officials.
The Visayas qualifying leg will be hosted by Iloilo City starting Feb. 23 to March 2, while the Luzon qualifying on March 16 to 23 to be held in Ilagan, Isabela.
Tagbilaran City in Bohol and Ormoc City in Leyte are still in a tug-of-war to become host of the national finals.
Cagayan de Oro's futsal team are made up of Liezel Ann C. Catamco (Bulua), Jewel May Actub (SMA), Mae Frances Clyde Sebial (Bulua), Norijean Palatis (Pagatpat NHS) Gail Leanne N. Loking (SMS)Teofila Isabel Mejia (SMS), Mikaela Ann Lazo (XU), Chavonne Joelle T. Uy, SMS, Malaika Ingrid Chaves (Rosevale School), Khalista Kyan Kaamino (Rosevale School), Justine Fatima Arcadio (Rosevale School), Ellaliene Micabalo (Lumbia National High School), Niño Lazo (Head Coach), Jersey John Maico (Assistant Coach), Ivan C. Caiña (Assistant Coach).
(l.biantan@gmil.com)