By Jerome S. Galunan Jr.
Tickets for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President’s Cup 2014 Group B Qualifier will be available starting May 3 at the Ceres Football Club Headquarters (formerly North Resto Bar) located across Ayala District, Talisay City, Negros Occidental.
Tickets are for the allocated seats in the main stadium and the bleachers.
The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) reiterated this tournament is totally “free admission”, as these tickets will only help spectators get a better view during matches.
Meanwhile, the Bacolod City Police Office will launch the “Oplan AFC” in relation to the staging of the Asian Football Confederation President’s Cup 2014 Group B Qualifier on May 6-10 at the Panaad Park and Stadium.
“This Oplan AFC is already prepared and subject for the approval of City Director Larry Decena,” said C/Insp. Noel Polines, head of the Security Committee.
Polines said a total of 257 police personnel will be deployed to the Panaad Stadium and various hotels, in which 43 security personnel take post at the designated hotels while 214 will be assigned at the Panaad Stadium.
“We will also have K9 Units and SWAT teams in the duration of the event,” he added.
Polines said they have prepared a work plan to ensure the safety, not only of the visiting teams and the home squad, but also of the spectators.
On the other hand, facilities at the Panaad Stadium are almost 80 percent complete in time for the tournament staging next week.
The LOC is working double time to ensure that the Panaad Park and Stadium of Negros Occidental will not only be ready for the tournament, but meets the requirements set by the AFC.
Aside from the huge facelift of the main stadium’s facilities, the LOC also focuses on keeping its football pitch green in time for the tournament.
“As of this time, we are trying to rehabilitate Panaad pitch. We know that during summer, grasses turn brown, thus, we fertilize these to remain green. Also, we planted some grass in the goal’s mouth to make it green as well,” LOC chairman Nicolas Golez said.
We are also maintaining our practice venues at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos and the Ceres-La Salle FC Mandalagan field, he added.
Meanwhile, the LOC is also installing hundreds of mounted seats for VIPs at the main stadium, which is also among the AFC requirements for hosting the event.
Further, the LOC had also constructed two more dressing rooms with showers at the Panaad Stadium as the facility only had two.
The LOC chairman has again appealed for support from fellow Bacolodnons and Negrenses.
“We would like to have a full [Panaad] stadium every match day. Not only will it be good for the team’s morale, but it will greatly leave an impression on the other teams, as well as the AFC, that when we host an international event such as the AFC President’s Cup, it is ‘more fun in Bacolod and Negros Occidental.’”
“It’s ‘free admission’ in the open bleachers and some parts of the stadium. This would be the best opportunity for your club to make noise by bringing along drums, trumpets; show patriotism by waving our national flag; improvise streamers showing support, and other related activities to drumbeat the event,” the LOC official suggested./
Watchmen Daily Journal - WDJ
2 things you don't want to hear at a football match: drums and bugles. They are for fools who end up competing against each other rather than watching the game. The roar of the crowd is all that's needed.
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