Cebu Football - More than 200 teams in Thirsty Cup

By Edri K. Aznar

THIS year’s edition of the Thirsty Football Cup looks bigger as more than 200 teams—local and from out of town—are expected to compete in Cebu City’s biggest annual football festival on Feb. 5 to 7 at the Cebu City Sports Center football grounds.

Last year, the festival generated a record-breaking 226 football squads in 14 different divisions.

As of now, the tournament is close to breaking that record as 224 teams have signed up for the mammoth football event.

Although only 118 teams have confirmed their participation. The number is expected to bloat as the playdate nears when the teams outside Cebu City will start arriving.

The number of visiting teams this year has skyrocketed. More than 40 teams from Dumaguete, Bacolod, Cagayan De Oro, Leyte, Butuan, Masbate, Iligan and Negros signed up.

Last year attracted only 30 visiting squads.

The football event will retain the same 14 divisions as last year’s—Players 6, Players 8, Players 10, Boys 12, Girls 12, Boys 14, Girls 14, Boys 17, Girls 17, Boys 19, Ladies Open, 36-and-above, 40-and-above and the prestigious Men’s Open, which currently has the most teams with 41.

Sun Star Cebu