THERE is usually a lull in football tournaments in Cebu in the holiday season and that’s what the Estremos Clan seven-a-side Christmas Cup hopes to address. They staged the first of a planned annual event yesterday at the East Visayan Academy field.
After a successful one-day tournament that featured only three divisions, organizer Randy Estremos is convinced that he should make this a yearly event.
“Next year, I plan to put in grassroots and women’s divisions. It will be a bigger tournament and will last for three days. I will have this included in the Cebu Football Association calendar and we will be doing this every year,” Estremos told Sun.Star Cebu.
“Right now, I still have no sponsors. This is all coming out of my pocket. Hopefully by that time I will be able to find sponsors.”
Estremos is a former player of the M. Lhuillier Jewelers that won the 1988 Philippine Football Federation (PFF) National Championship title. He now works with the referees’ department of the Macau Football Association.
Estremos comes home to Cebu every December for vacation and he decided to host a tournament for fun.
“This is my first time to organize. Every December I come home from my work in Macau. I organized this to get together with some of my friends here,” he said.
It will be more serious next year as he promised it will be a bigger and better event that showcases all the divisions.
Yesterday, C & L FC snagged the Men’s Open crown with a 3-2 penalty shootout win over San Roque FC (SRFC), while the University of Southern Philippines (USP) Alumni finished third with a 3-2 penalty shootout over Birada FC.
Echelon FC grabbed the 38-and-above category with a 1-0 victory over Queen City United, while Don Bosco Alumni edged out Metropolitan FC, 2-1, for third place.
Don Bosco Alumni bagged the 45-and-above division with a 1-0 victory over KNF SRFC United, while CAFC grabbed third place with a 1-0 win over Echelon FC.