HOPING to teach the youth positive values and adopting a healthy lifestyle as well as developing the sport Alaska Milk held the 20th Alaska Football Cup at the Alabang Country Club last weekend.
Alaska Milk President and CEO Wilfred Uytengsu said it was a privilege to hold the biggest and most successful grassroots-development program in the local football scene.
He said Alaska Milk encourages sports engagement, as it instills positive values during the early stages of a child’s life.
“Alaska Football Cup is more than just discovering elite players. It’s about promoting teamwork, commitment and dedication. We hope that as players you will keep those characteristics in mind. It’s a privilege to be here to open the 20th Alaska Cup,” said Uytengsu.
The Alaska CEO also recalled the modest beginning of the program which has grown to become the biggest football tournament of its kind.
“In 1986, we had 350 players and 25 teams. Today in our 20th anniversary, we held a three-day event in 26 football fields with 6,150 players in 410 teams. In those 20 years we’ve had 12,159 teams of over 58,000 players play 13,800 games with over 40,000 goals scored. We’ve come a long way,” said Uytengsu.
He also praised the dedication of tournament organizer Tomas Lozano and his role in not only growing the tournament but also in discovering some of the best football players in the country who eventually went on to play in the Azkals national football team.
“Over these 20 years we’ve also had the opportunity to have some really fantastic players participate in the event. We are proud to say that many in the ranks of the Azkals have come through the Alaska Cup including Ali Borromeo, Roel Gener, Chieffy Caligdong and Amani Aguinaldo,” said Uytengsu.
Alaska Milk VP for Marketing Blen Fernando recalled the program’s start 20 years ago.
“When Tomas (Lozano) approached us 20 years ago to hold this Football Cup we were just learning how to make it sustainable. Parang ang bilis ng panahon. We never thought it would become this big. At the time we just wanted a football program that was better-organized. In fact it was not that big. We only had over 20 teams and over 300 players. But there was no other football cup of comparable size at the time for children,” said Fernando.
“For us we only wanted something for the children that will complement our basketball program. And it became bigger and bigger over time, although it was a lot of hard work. Along the way there were a lot of adjustments we had to make.”
The past Alaska Football Cup was the country’s biggest football event for young athletes which attracted players of all ages, from as young as six years old. They gathered in one venue to participate in one of the longest-running and most successful grassroots-development programs in the local football scene.
The Alaska Football Cup is the most highly anticipated annual football tournament for today’s young athletes with school teams and football clubs from all over the Philippines including Masbate, Baguio, Negros Occidental, Cebu, Davao, Palawan, Legaspi, Laguna, Batangas, Bukidnon, Zambales, Pampanga, Tarlac, Ilocos, Bicol, Romblon, Davao Sur, Compostela Valley, Quezon, Cavite, Albay, Pangasinan, Bacolod, Iloilo, Mindoro and Metro Manila participating.
