Dumaguete plays host to Visayas Regionals of PFF Suzuki U23 Cup

This appears in the Friday April 15, 2011 edition of the Business Mirror.


Dumaguete plays host to Visayas Regionals of PFF Suzuki U23 Cup

story and photo by rick olivares

The PFF Suzuki U23 Cup heats up as it moves into the regional competition phase.

There will be tournaments in Luzon (Baguio City-Benguet, Laguna, Masbate, and Oriental Mindoro), Mindanao (Cagayan de Oro-Misamis Oriental, Davao, North Cotobato, and Zamboanga del Norte-Dipolog), and Visayas (Cebu, Iloilo, Leyte, Negros Occidental, and Negros Oriental). The National Capital Region which has two teams automatically head into the semifinals.

Of the four regions, the one cluster that will be the most hotly contested if not exciting is the Visayas group. Long the breeding ground for football players who have gone on to great renown for country and club team, the Visayas is easily “football country”.

“If you look at the homegrown players of our current national team, with the exception of David Basa, all are products of the Visayas region,” said Philippine Football Federation President Mariano V. Araneta who hails from Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo and who once donned the national colors. “For the longest time, the region was also a feeder for player in clubs and many a national team. The sport really thrives in the region as well as other provinces. It is a source of pride for all and you can expect that all the participating teams will give it a good fight.”

Dick Emperado, president of the Negros Oriental Football Association and who once played for Silliman University and went up against Araneta in the many football leagues that were popular in the 1960s and 1970s says that the return of the national tournament can be only good for Visayans if not the Filipino people. “It is a chance to showcase the homegrown talent,” he said. “It is also chance for the locals to represent the country when we compete in the Southeast Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia later this year.”

Araneta and Emperado are quick to point out that many current players in the collegiate leagues in Manila come from the region. La Salle’s fiery rookie striker Al Bustamante and forward Federico Rabaya are from Dumaguete. The University of Santo Tomas has a sizeable contingent from Iloilo including former rookie of the year Christian de Juan, Fidel Kue, Ronald Batisla-Ong and Shirmar Felongco recently voted as the Best Mid-Fielder in the UAAP. UST’s head coach, Marjo Allado, who also is from Barotac Nuevo will be coaching the Iloilo team.

In a press conference at the Dumaguete Press Club, the Leyte team already hurled down the gauntlet when team captain Regis Divino said that their team would advance to the quarterfinals phase. “The home team’s success, said former NORFA General Secretary Alfredo Bustamante, “Will turn Dumaguete into the football capital of the Philippines.”

Allado, who is from Iloilo which is considered the football capital of the country, smiled at the statement. “We’re here to win,” said the Growling Tigers coach.

Suzuki Philippines President Satoshi Uchida, himself a football fan said of the sponsorship, “This is the first step of the rise of Philippine football culture and we at Suzuki hope that Filipinos will not only enjoy the game but also be successful with it.”

The Visayas regional’s kickoff on Friday, April 14, 2011 with early morning matches. Officials from the PFF, Suzuki, Dumaguete City, and Silliman University grace the opening ceremony slated for 3pm, Friday, April 14, 2011 at the Filomeno Cimafranca Field at Silliman University. The opening program will be preceded by a motorcade organized by Suzuki that will include the Philippine Men’s National Team’s Emelio “Chieffy” Caligdong, Ian Araneta, Roel Gener, Paolo Pascual, and Yannick Tuason.

Caligdong, Araneta, and Gener are from Iloilo while Pascual is from Cebu. Tuason is from Manila.

Schedule of Regionals:

Luzon (host Laguna) April 28-30

Visayas (host Negros Oriental) April 15-19

Mindanao (host Davao) April 28-30