Team RP U16 booters kick off series vs Negros teams

THE RP Under-16 national football squad kicked off its series of tune-up matches against Negros teams Tuesday against the Don Bosco U16 team at the Don Bosco Technical Institute pitch in Victorias City.
The move is part of the selection’s preparations for the forthcoming Asian U16 Football Championship Group E Qualifier slated Oct. 3-13 at Panaad Sports & Recreational Park pitch in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City.

Deputy event coordinator Warren Concepcion said Tuesday the team is also scheduled to take on the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos U19 team Wednesday morning at the Recoletos field while Thursday the nationals will test the mettle of the UNO-R varsity squad.
On Friday, the RP booters, mentored by Glenn Ramos, will clash against the University of St. La Salle and on Saturday against the Talisay City selection.
The nationals wind up the weeklong tune-up series when they visited San Carlos City up north on Sunday, Concepcion added.
The 29-member national U16 pool is also scheduled to undergo a training camp here prior to the team’s stint in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)-organized event, which also features the national U16 teams from Japan, Mongolia, Chinese Taipei, and Indonesia.
The final composition of the RP team will be announced after the training camp, said event coordinator and Philippine Football Federation (PFF) general secretary Cyril Dofitas, who was here two weeks ago to lay the organizational groundwork for the prestigious international event, the first Asian-level competition to be staged at Panaad following the 2006 Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championship Qualifiers.
The top two teams in the Asian U16 tournament will advance to the main draw of the competition slated sometime next year at a still to be named venue.

Source : Sun Star Bacolod