FIVE of the categories that will be contested today will be any team’s game as the 8th Sinulog Football Festival 2018 kicks off at 8 a.m. at the Cebu City Sports Center.
This after Giuseppe FC, which won the U7 Mix, U13 Boys, U15 Boys and U18 Girls titles last year, has not fielded any team for this year’s tournament.
Head coach Eleazar Toledo said they weren’t able to make it since when they registered, they were told that all slots have already been filled up.
The organizing Cebu Football Association (CFA) limited the number of entries for this year because they do not want matches to reach almost midnight, just like last year. So the registration was on a first come, first served basis.
Warshockz, the defending champion in the U15 Girls, have also decided not to see action in the event.
Because of this development, the race to the top in these categories will be an open one although Don Bosco will be a favored team since they will have bets in almost all categories save for the girls competition. Don Bosco will be back to defend their titles in the U9 Mix and U11 Mix divisions.
A team from Bohol, the G-Hernandez FC, will be seeing action for the first time in the U15 Boys category.
Among the other teams from outside Cebu province who wanted to see action in this tournament, only entries coming from Bohol were accepted.
Tournament director Glenn Quisido said that they allowed teams from Bohol to see action because the CFA is soon to become the Central Visayas Regional Football Association (CVRFA) lumping Cebu and Bohol under one FA.
Teams are advised to go to the CCSC early as only the first match of the day will be given a grace period. The first game will start at 8 a.m.