Organizers John Pages (from left), Bunny Pages, Chad Songalia and Iggy Luza grace a press briefing for the 14th Thirsty Football Cup, which starts today..
A total of 256 teams from around the country will turn the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) field into a virtual football battle ground as the much awaited 14th Thirsty Football Cup unfurls at 4 p.m. today.
Of this number, 26 are out-of-town entries including a ladies open competitor from Manila named Outcast FC. It is composed of former Far Eastern University (FEU) and University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) booters who will surely give local teams a tough day, said one of the meet’s organizers, Chad Songalia, in a press conference yesterday.
He was joined by Pages Holdings Inc. Vice President John Pages and the latter’s father, the chief of Pages Holdings Inc. Bunny Pages.
Songalia also added that one of Cebu’s top squads, ERCO BRO FC, will be defending its men’s open division title as well as the other 13 division champions.
Aside from the ladies’ and men’s open, the tournament will also feature the under-seven mixed, under-nine mixed, under-11 mixed, under-13 boys, under-15 boys, under-17 boys, under-17 girls, under-19 boys, under-19 girls, 38-above and the mixed open which will debut this year.
The mixed open will be played by both male and female booters playing side by side. What makes it different from the other mixed categories is that it features older players.
“Most of the teams that won last year will compete so let’s see if they can still defend their title or we crown a new champion. And what makes this tournament very special this year is that the winning team in each category can choose their charitable organization which Thirsty will be donating a certain amount to,” said Songalia.
Bunny Pages, meanwhile, thanked the local football teams and the visiting squads for their continuing support to the tournament which has grown into one of Cebu’s biggest football events.
John Pages, on the other hand, wants to make permanent the tournament’s unique concept of donating funds to the winning teams’ chosen charity. That, however, needs to be assessed after the tournament.
This year’s 256 teams bettered last year’s attendance of 220, of which 26 are visiting squads including those from Dumaguete, Iloilo, Leyte, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro, Samar, Oroquieta City and Bohol.