THE 18th Aboitiz Football Cup at the Pueblo Verde in Mactan Island is encouraging public schools to participate in the tournament, which will kick off on September 4.
Sonny Carpio, the executive vice president of the Aboitiz Foundation, said in the tournament’s launching last Friday that they will be starting to encourage more public schools to form their own football teams and take part in the Aboitiz Football Cup, considered as the biggest tournament in the country.
Carpio said having more public schools is part of their grassroots program for the sport through the Aboitiz Foundation.
Cebu Football Association (CFA) President Ricky Dakay said the plan will be realized sooner especially that there is an existing football coaching seminar in Cebu.
The coaching seminar is initiated by PFF and CFA which is dubbed as “Kasibulan Program” where licensed football trainers and coaches visit public schools to train teachers to become capable football coaches.
The Aboitiz Football Cup has attracted around a hundred schools but only a few public schools are are competing in the age-group categories.
To further strengthen their program, Aboitizland’s head Eduardo Aboitiz announced Aboitizland’s plan to build two to three football fields in Lilo-an town, northern Cebu.
The construction may start two to three years from now.
Aboitiz himself is a product of the Aboitiz Cup as he once competed in the under-14 category.