Makati FC is currently in Europe to compete for two major youth competitions.
The club will make its 37th consecutive stint in the Gothia World Youth Cup scheduled on July 14 to 20 in Gothenburg, Sweden right after its debut in the Paris World Games.
With its good performance in the past few years, Makati FC has been getting a lot of invitations from several countries to compete in their tournaments.
And for the first time this year, the club is invited to the Paris World Games, which will serve as a buildup to the Gothia Cup. The club, which brought over 70 players from five teams: (boys born 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and girls born 2005) left the country last Saturday.
Tomas Lozano, the Makati FC Founder, who just turned 70 last week, has been bringing teams to compete in Gothia Cup since 1983. He received the Gothia Cup Hall of Fame award last 2007 in Sweden for 25 years of continuous participation and received another in 2012 for 30 years participation.
“The Gothia Cup is the world’s largest youth football tournament. Each year, around 1,700 teams from 80 countries take part and they play 4,500 games on 110 fields,” said SeLu Lozano, son of Tomas Lozano and CEO of Makati FC’s.
“It’s the teams, and participants from around the world that make the tournament unique. And having to be part of something as big as Gothia Cup, bringing 5 teams from the Philippines this year is something that the Club is very proud of. What our players get to experience is nothing short of spectacular not just in terms of exposure for football but as growing individuals who has the potential to be future leaders of our country. Empowering our youth through football is what Makati FC is all about.” he added.
The players are looking forward to participating in the tournament. One of them is Lance Locsin, a Makati FC Boys 14 standout, who was discovered from Bacolod and is now a scholar of Makati FC studying in De La Salle Zobel.
“We will do our best to win in Gothia Cup and Paris. Football has given me everything in my life. The better I do in my football career around the world, the more opportunities will open up for me. My family back home is also helped by the club because of football,” said Locsin. “My dream is to play professional football abroad through Makati FC, I have a realistic chance.”
Locsin went to the club’s Japan training camp last May 31 to June 3 in preparation for the Paris World Games and Gothia Cup in Sweden.
His teammate Alfonso Gonzalez, who is now on his fourth stint in the Gothia Cup, is looking forward for the bigger picture.
Makati FC has played a very important role in developing young football athletes in Philippines since 1976, as Tomas Lozano, a former Real Madrid FC player, pioneered youth football in the country.