72 teams join DRB football

THE first DRB Football Jamboree on April 2 and 3 at the Aboitiz Sports Field has attracted 72 teams from different categories.


The one-of-a-kind football festival features 13 categories—Players 6, Players 10, Boys 12, Boys 14, Girls 14, Boys 17, Girls 17, Boys 19, Girls 19, Men’s Open, Women’s Open, 38-and-above and the Inter-BPO. The Girls 12 division was scrapped because only one team signed up.


The tournament follows an 11-a-side format except for the Players 8 and 10, which follow a 9-a-side set-up.


The Players 10 and Men’s Open categories have the most teams with 10 teams each.
Out-of-town teams from Bukidnon, Compostela Valley and Cagayan de Oro are also joining the two-day tournament.

The Cebu Football Association (CFA) plans on holding this unique festival type of tournament five times a year.

Meanwhile, Cebu’s elite squads of Boys 13-Under and Girls 14-Under squads will be leaving for San Carlos City today for the Visayas regional qualifying tournament on March 25 to 27.

“We’re prepared. We’ve been practicing,” said Eleazar Toledo, who is the head coach of the Girls 14-Under squad.


The first two days of the developmental tournament is for the games, while Sunday is for the skills training.


Scouts for the national team of both divisions will watch the games to select talents for the national training pool.

The members of the Japanese Football Association (JFA) are also expected to observe the tournament. JFA is helping the Philippines in its grassroots program.


Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on March 24, 2011.