Kasibulan football festival set

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila will be the venue for the continuation of the National Capital Region Football Association-backed Kasibulan Grassroots Football program on Wednesday.
Around 60 local coaches and more than 500 kids, aged 6 to 12, are expected to participate in the three-day event that culminates at the Luneta Grandstand Football Field on Aug. 17.
Organized by the National Capital Region Football Association, headed by its president and Philippine Football Federation secretary general Atty. Roland Tulay, and backed by the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp. and Vitamilk Champ, this free football seminar is a long-term program aimed at enabling the country to qualify in the 2019 FIFA Under 17 World Cup.
�We are very happy to support the kids in this developmental program that aims to instill the consciousness of living a healthy and active lifestyle at an early age through a fun sport such as football,� said Faline Sano of the Vitamilk Brand Team.
The program for Manila is conducted in cooperation with the City Government of Manila, led by Mayor Alfredo Lim, who will also be the special guest at the culmination of the event, where certificates of participation will be distributed to the coaches and kids.
Mayor Lim will be joined by members of the Azkals and the Malditas football teams.
The three-day program includes a seminar for coaches, educators, and other sports advocates, as well as a kids� skills assessment and training everyday with a minimum of 60 adults and 500 kids expected to participate in each venue.
Registration is still open, according to Manila City Administrator Jay Marzan.
Interested parties can contact the Dep Ed, thru Joel Dionisio at 09279153519 or thru the Manila Sports Council office (Heidi Bunag) at 09399236883.

Manila Standard Today

PFF invites Guam XI to 4-nation tournament

By Cedelf P. Tupas
Philippine Daily Inquirer

GUAM has been invited to complete the cast in the four-nation Paulino Alcantara Cup set in Bacolod City that will form part of the preparation of the Philippine football team for the AFF Suzuki Cup.

The tournament, which has been named after one of the greatest players to don the national colors in Alcantara, has already lured Macau and Chinese-Taipei.

�Guam is interested in joining the tournament and they have been improving,� said Philippine Football Federation president Mariano �Nonong� Araneta of the side that lost to the Azkals, 3-0, in a friendly in Bacolod City last June 12.

Formerly known as the Long Teng Cup, the tournament has been renamed with the Philippines hosting it for the first time on the last week of September which marks a busy month for the Azkals who will play three matches early in the month.

The door was open for Guam following the confirmation of Hong Kong that it is not joining the tournament that it has won the last two years in Taiwan.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Football Federation on Thursday struck an agreement with Department of Education, which will now take an active role in the implementation of the Kasibulan program.

�Its another boost for the sport as we expand the Kasibulan program,� said Araneta, after signing the agreement with DepEd secretary Armin Luistro.

Under the agreement, the PFF will subsidize the training of football instructors from the ranks of DepEd and PFF.

The federation is undertaking the program backed by Pagcor with the hope of discovering talents that will form the team bidding for a spot in the 2017 Under-17 World Cup.

Big football clinic goes to a barangay in Butuan

By Nora L. Molde

BUTUAN CITY, Agusan del Norte, July 27 (PIA) -- A big football clinic dubbed, �Kasibulan Football Grassroots Festival will be staged on July 29 at the rural area in Maguinda National High School Football grounds in Brgy. Maguinda in Butuan City.

The Butuan-Agusan Norte Football Association (Banfa) and the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) organized the football clinic.

It is the first time that a football clinic, which is offered for free to all participants, of this magnitude will be staged in Butuan City, more so in the rural area like Brgy. Maguinda.

Now on its third leg of staging, the football clinic aims to introduce the game of football to more than 3,000 children aged six to 12 years old from all walks of life.

Around 600 children have already registered to participate in the clinic. The kids are mostly from schools in Brgy. Maguinda and in the neighboring barangays such Tungao, San Mateo, Sumile, Maibu, Dangkias, Amparo, among others.

The first two editions of the said clinic attracted around 1,000 kids held at the Butuan City Sports Complex in Brgy. Libertad in Butuan City.

Butuan City Vice Mayor and Banfa President Lawrence �Law� Fortun said he feels ecstatic that they will be able to bring this clinic to the rural area.

�We should take advantage of this opportunity as not all the major cities in the country is given the chance to host this clinic which is patterned after the successful grassroots development program of Germany,� Fortun said.

Football has become popular after the Philippine Team Azkals romped with several wins in international tournaments during the past years when most Filipinos were engrossed on basketball.

The clinic, which is also held in several key cities, is also aimed at discovering new talents who could be part of the Team Azkals who will be competing in the 2018 Asian Football Cup.

To date, the program has produced a member of Team Azkals in the person of Chiffy Caligdong who is a product of the program in the late 1990s.

There will also be basic training on coaching in the first two days of the clinic on July 27 to 28 at the same venue.

The Philippine Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) and the Department of Education (DepEd) in Butuan support the clinic. (RER/NCLM/Eldie N. David/BC-VMO/PIA-Caraga)

PIA