Kenneth Tan (center), COO of Hyundai Cebu, joins Rico Navarro (from left), James Cabatingan, Josephil Partosa, Cherry Cornelio, Blanche Braun, Andrew Choachoy, Jefferson Cataag and Antonio Trebol during the launching of the Hyundai Cup 2017 Invitational, an under-15, 11-aside football tournament which will take place on March 3-5 at Fr. Julian Hernando Football Field of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu in Barangay Canduman, Mandaue City. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
TOP football clubs from Cebu and a visiting team from Manila will go for each other’s scalps in the Hyundai Cup 2017 Invitational slated March 3-5 at the Fr. Julian Hernando Football Field of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu in Barangay Canduman, Mandaue City.
Set to compete in the tournament are Paref Springdale, University of San Carlos, Don Bosco, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and Manila’s Futbol Funatics/Forza FC.
The under-15, 11-aside tournament will follow a league-type format with competing teams facing each other in a single round robin phase.
The team with the highest points will be declared champion.
“We decided to adopt a league-type format to save time. But the advantage is, each will get to face everybody,” said tournament director Tony Trebol in the tournament’s press launching yesterday at Hyundai-Cebu showroom at the North Reclamation Area, Cebu City.
Kenneth Tan, COO of Hyundai-Cebu, said they are hoping that the tournament will become one of the top competitions in Cebu.
“We’re hoping to become big like the Thirsty (Football Cup), that in two or three years, this will become one of the big tournaments here,” said Tan.
Tan said they are targeting to hold tournaments outside Cebu.
“There will be pocket tournaments outside Cebu, the winners will be brought here and play against each other similar to Champions League,” Tan said.
“We’re hoping to come up with another pocket tournament before the year ends, and invite football personalities to play an exhibition game here.
We’ve invited the Younghusbands for this event; unfortunately, they have other commitments,” said Tan.
The opening ceremony will be held on Saturday yet, but one game will already be played on Friday, pitting SHS-Adc and USC.
Tournament champion will get a trophy and medals. Runner-up finishers will get medals.