Iloilo town big fan of football, World Cup

By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Inquirer Visayas

Barotac town in Iloilo, 30 kilometers northeast of here, have been getting little sleep lately.

On many late nights for the past few weeks, residents have been huddling at homes in front of television sets with generous amounts of beer and appetizers while watching the World Cup 2010 matches in South Africa.

While most of the country has paid little attention to the World Cup, Barotacnons have joined nearly a billion fans worldwide in following the quadrennial tournament.

Since the World Cup opened on June 11, football players and enthusiasts have been gathering in homes with cable television connections to watch the games shown live locally at 10 p.m. and 2:30 a.m.

“We all stay late at night especially for the exciting and much awaited games,” said engineer Duffie Botavara, general secretary of the Iloilo Football Association and president of the Barotac Nuevo Football Club.

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