Saturday, October 23, 2010

USC WOMEN'S FOOTBALL TEAM JOINS UNIVERSITY GAMES

Published in Sun Star Cebu Newspaper on Oct. 23, 2010 Saturday issue
by Mike Limpag, Sports Editor

CEBU’s only women’s collegiate football team will try their luck in the University Games in Dumaguete City this weekend.

The University of San Carlos, the only school that keeps a women’s football team, will be competing with some of the best squads in the country in the annual invitational meet.

The Unigames is the only school-based 11-a-side tournament the USC women’s team gets to compete in as it usually joins football festivals; since the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. can organize a competition for them.

Former Cebu Football Association president Jonathan Maximo, who helped run the Cesafi football competition, said he was asked by a female player why there was no women’s competition in the Cesafi.

He forwarded the concern to Cesafi Commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy who said the Cesafi is willing to organize a women’s competition if there will be at least four teams.

“Even if we reduce the minimum number from four to two teams, we still cannot jumpstart a league for them. Wala man lain kontra ang USC,” Maximo said in an e-mail to Sun.Star Cebu.

Though USC is shouldering the team’s trip to Dumaguete, the players decided to hold a fun run last Oct. 17 to help raise funds for their trip.

“I hope the perseverance of the USC team to go out and compete will encourage other universities to put up their own teams. Then, maybe, we can start planning for a women’s league in the future,” Maximo said.

The team, coached by Gary Panagsagan, is composed of goalkeeper Ceilo Perez, defenders Maritoni Terbol, Grace Carreon, Mitchella Muller, Joyce Maw, Kizza Francisco, Melanie Bordalba, Keizha Muller, Allen Yap, Maricrics Terdao and forwards Kim Arcenas and Alili Loi.

No comments: