CAN'T HIDE AGE: CESAFI

Courtesy of Sun Star Newspaper (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/)

Friday, July 28, 2006 issue

by Marina C. Baring, Sun.Star Correspondent

Incidents of athletes lying about their age to get into the CESAFI and play will soon be a thing of the past, with match organizers now requiring those competing in auxiliary events to submit certified and original documents from the National Statistics Office.

This development came up in last Wednesday’s meeting of all coaches and tournament directors at Cebu Coliseum.

"It was agreed that this will work more to the advantage of the coaches because when there are cases of ineligibility, the coaches are still liable for it," said Jonathan Maximo, the tournament manager for football.

Ineligible athletes who manage to ease their way past screening is a common problem in multi-event sporting meets such as Cesafi.

"With NSO certification, we could be assured of the authenticity of the documents," Maximo added.

During the meeting, the modification of ground rules for every event was also discussed, including the penalty in cases of walkouts.

For this year, Cesafi implements stricter rules when it comes to teams storming out of the playing area. Before, when a team walks out, the schools or team owners are made to answer to it by paying a certain fee. This time, coaches will be penalized and be banned forever from the league.

Meanwhile, the other events of Cesafi will have its opening in the first week of September at the Cebu Coliseum.

Cesafi Commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy confirmed this and said that the opening ceremony will be held in the morning since there will be scheduled basketball games in the afternoon.

There will be different playdates for the events in athletics, badminton, football, beach volleyball, volleyball, table tennis, swimming, chess, scrabble, lawn tennis, sepak takraw, taekwondo and dancesports.

Each event also marks the date for the deadline of the submission of requirements. For football, Maximo said that all teams must produce the documents by August 14.

There will be five teams competing in the collegiate division and five from the high school class.

FIFA PLAN: SUMMIT FOR WOMEN IN CEBU

Courtesy of Sun Star Newspaper (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/)

Wednesday, July 26, 2006 issue
by Mike Limpag, Staff Reporter

If plans don't miscarry, Cebu could host another Asean summit before December, and this one is for women's football.

Cristy Ramos, the deputy chairperson of the Asian Football Confederation Women's Committee, said FIFA is planning a women's football seminar in the Philippines on Sept. 25 to 29 for the 11 Southeast Asian nations plus four other countries.

"I suggested to FIFA to hold the seminar in Cebu because of its central location, and I think it would be excellent to bring the seminar outside of Manila to generate more interest and development from the provinces, especially in the Visayas area. I hope FIFA (and the PFF) will approve Cebu as the venue," Ramos said in an e-mail to Sun.Star Cebu.

Ramos, who is in Australia serving as match commissioner of the AFC Women's Cup, said the tentative topics for the seminar include administration, management, technical development, competitions and marketing.

Growth

If the seminar pushes through in Cebu, it could also help further spur the growth of girls’ football, which has grown tremendously in the last three years.

From just a Women's Open a few years ago, the Cebu Football Association now regularly holds competitions for the Girls 17-Under and 12-Under.

Meanwhile, Ramos, a staunch critic of the PFF, is hoping that the PFF will be fair in choosing whom to invite from the Philippines to attend the seminar.

"I also hope that many people who are especially interested in women's football will be able to take advantage of this," she said.

QUEEN CITY UTD DOWNS SAN CARLOS

Courtesy of CEBU DAILY NEWSPAPER (www.inquirer.net)
July 17, 2006 Monday issue
By Jonas Panerio, Correspondent
Rick Gabuya, Sports Editor

Solon waxes hot, scores four goals for Queen City

Queen City United Football Club took off to a sizzling start as it drubbed sister team University of San Carlos (USC) Football Club, 6-1, in the opening game of the Aboitiz Cebu Football Association Women's Open Cup on Sunday at the San Roque Football Field in Mandaue City.

Queen City forward Marlou Solon made mincemeat of USC's defense as she scored four goals in a spectacular display of ball control and precision striking.

Solon started off early, scoring the game's first goal at the 4th minute.

She then added two stellar strikes in the 19th and 23rd minutes of the game before assisting midfielder Jan Salac for Queen City's fourth goal of the game in the 36th minute for an insurmountable 4-0 lead.

Solon scored the last of her goals in the waning moments of the first half as she bobbed and weaved past USC's defenders to score from the right wing.

Queen City finished off the rout with a goal by defender Cristina Fuentes at the 67th minute, after the latter intercepted a pass by USC's goalkeeper and then struck it in to make the tally, 6-0.

USC's lone goal came in the 86th minute off a penalty kick conversion made by Rose Barinan.

ALL SET FOR ABOITIZ CUP FOOTBALL

Courtesy of CEBU DAILY NEWSPAPER (www.inquirer.net)
July 12, 2006 Wednesday issue
By Jonas Panerio, Correspondent
Rick Gabuya, Sports Editor

22 events expected in 10th season of tournament

The Cebu Football Association (CFA) and the Aboitiz Group Foundation (AGFI) are raring to set the local football scene on fire as the 10th season of the prestigious Aboitiz Cup unfolds this Sunday at the San Roque football field.

With the World Cup fever still raging, the 10th season of the Aboitiz Cup promises to be bigger and better with 22 proposed events waiting on the list of the football calendar.

“This is a series of football tournaments that will cater to players, both young and old,” said CFA president Jonathan Maximo at the press launch on Tuesday at the AV room of the Aboitiz Corporate Center in Banilad.

Maximo was joined by Jackie Lotzof, Dave Sharpe, PILMICO president Antonio Moraza, Cebu International School superintendent Mark Bretherton and AGFI representative Sonny Carpio.

The Women's Open Cup kicks off the event, with five teams vying for the chance to represent Cebu in the PFF National Women's Open Tournament slated August in Dumaguete City.

Queen City United will start its title defense this weekend against sister team USC in the 1 p.m. opener followed by the Mulbachs FC-San Roque FC tiff at 3 p.m.

Much like last season, the Aboitiz Cup will have two types of tournaments.

The Cup type will still be played every weekend, while the Aboitiz Football Festival starts on September 23 at the Cebu City Sports Center.

A total of 110 teams are expected to compete in the festival, with teams competing in 13 different tournaments based on the players' respective age-groups.

The Cup type on the other hand, doubles as training grounds for Cebu’s future out-of-town delegations.

A total of 233 local teams, totaling 2,523 players, are expected to vie in the 22 events of the Aboitiz Cup, surpassing the 141 teams which took part in the 12 events last year.

Moraza emphasized the role sports play in the development of the youth.

“Sixty percent of the AGF's funds mainly go to the education of underprivileged children. Education, however, is not only academic. There can be no development without competition,” said Moraza. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio