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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Mindanao champ Bukidnon joins Luzon Cup

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The Under-12 squad of the Bukidnon Football Association, champion of the recently concluded Mindanao Cup, will vie in the Luzon Cup to be held from November 21 to 24 at the Tarlac Recreational Park in San Jose, Tarlac.

NOFA president Ricky Yanson at the World Cup in Russia

The Luzon Cup is the third of a series of Under-12 tournaments spearheaded this year by the Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) "Football Para sa Lahat’’ program. 

The two previous tourneys were the NOFA Cup held last May in Bacolod and the Mindanao Cup held last October 22 to 25 in Davao City.

For the Luzon Cup, NOFA has the Central Luzon Football Association (CLFA) as its co-organizer for the Luzon Cup.

NOFA President Ricky Yanson began the program four years ago with the NOFA Cup nationwide tourney, and expanded it this year so teams can also play the tourney format nearer their home.

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“Under Football Para Sa Lahat, we want more kids to fall in love with sports by giving them more opportunities to play football at a higher level,” said Yanson.

The format is nine-a-side with open substitution and no offside. Kids enjoy more playing time because matches have two 25-minute halves.

Aside from the trip to Tarlac as prize at the Mindanao Cup, Bukidnon FA also won 30,000 pesos worth of football equipment. Sixteen football teams are set to take part in the Luzon Cup.

Bukidnon FC emerged as the champion of the first Mindanao Cup that was held recently at the Tionko Football Grounds in Davao City.

The football tournament was a joint endeavor of Yanson, and the Davao South Regional Football Association, headed by its president, Engineer Henry Sabate.

Sixteen teams from Mindanao took part in the competition envisioned to hone grassroots football players.

The other top finishers in the tournament included Davao South Regional FA White, first runner-up; Davao South RFA Red; second runner-up and Mt. APO RFA, third runner-up.

The tournament was also supported by the local government of Davao City represented by Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte who attended the welcome dinner, and by Philippine Sports Commission Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr., who graced the games and the awarding ceremonies.

Atty. Iroy, a former national football player in the late 1980s lauded the Mindanao Cup for supplementing the PSC’s own grassroots program and for bringing together the Mindanao football associations.

“This is a good program because it realizes the importance of the participation of young children. The Mindanao Cup is also special because, for a time, there was no tournament that involved all the regional FAs in Mindanao. There was a ‘lag’ for a long time. With this program, the FAs have had a chance to band together.”

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