Cebu Football - 8th Thirsty Cup kicks off next month

THE Thirsty Football Festival returns for another edition on Feb. 4 to 6 at the Cebu City Sports Center.

�The Thirsty Football festival was a trailbalzer. It was the first seven-a-side football festival in Cebu...Now football festivals are sprouting like mushrooms.

Being the first, the ground rules of the Thirsty Football Festival has become the basis for various festivals that followed,� organizer Neil Montesclaros said in a press release.

This year, the Thirsty Football Festivall will have 14 divisions, all to be played at the CCSC.

The youngest age groups are the Players 6, 8 and 10, which will be a five-a-side competition over 12 minutes.

The other divisions are the Boys and Girls 12, 14, 17 and 19, the ladies and men�s opens and the 36 and 42-above.

These divisions will have seven-a-side teams and 15-minute matches.

Registration fee for all divisions is P500 and teams may register through 0917-6244853. The deadline for registration is Jan. 19.

Some of the teams expected to join the festival are age group powerhouse Don Bosco, Paref-Springdale, San Roque Football Club and Abellana National School.

�Don Bosco, SRFC, and Springdale are the most successful teams. They have won more trophies than the rest and they fielded more teams in many divisions in general. But many other clubs are catching up,� Montesclaros said. (PR)

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on January 17, 2011.