Davao girls to play in Vietnam

FIVE more young booters from Davao City -- this time some of the top girl booter themselves -- have been named to the Philippine national team that is set to showcase their skills in an international competition this month.


Nina Alexi B. Arrieta, Janna Raizel Barcemo, Louise Gabrielle del Fierro and Joana Marie Adao of the Ateneo de Davao University and Nina Ricci Yanto of Emar were named to the PH squad, which will compete in the AFC U14 Girls Festival of Football in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam from June 8 to 15.


Aside from Davao booters, the national team is also composed of players from the Rizal Football Association, San Carlos City and Negros First. The girls went on a rigid training in Bacolod City before they were called upon to represent the country in Vietnam.


The PH booters, mentored by Robert Manlubo and Melissa Kris Marquez, will go up against teams from Korea, China, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Laos, Myanmar and host Vietnam in the week-long competition.

The team is currently training at the Ateneo de Manila field where it will also play in some tune-up matches against AdMU and University of the Philippines varsity teams.

After their tune-up matches, the team will pay a courtesy call to Philippine Football Federation (PFF) officials on June 7 and will leave for Vietnam on June 8.

Earlier, two young boy footballers from Davao were also selected to play for the national squad in the AFC U13 Festival of Football in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia from June 1 to 7.

Picked were Darius Joseph Ramos Diamante and Javier Romero-Salas, both of the Ateneo de Davao University.


Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on June 02, 2011.