Organizers with the coaches of the participating teams of the Hyundai Champions League 2019. CDN Digital photo | Mars G. Alison
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles will be gunning for their third straight title in the Hyundai Champions’ League 2019, which will be held from April 26 to 28, 2019 at the Fr. Julian Hernando SJ Athletic Field of the SHS-AdC campus in Mandaue City.
“We will do our best although most of our players are not here because they are in Manila playing in the Youth Football League,” said SHS-AdC head coach Oliver “Bingbing” Colina.
Colina, however, said that he is not the one handling the team’s training for this 11-A-Side football tournament because he will be sitting as one of the tournament officials.
The team will instead be handled by one of the SHS-AdC assistant coaches Dan Villarico, a former national youth player.
A press conference was held on Thursday, April 25, 2019, to usher in the tournament’s third edition at the Hyundai Cebu dealership at the North Reclamation Area with newly elected Central Visayas Football Association (CVFA) president Rodney Orale.
This year’s Hyundai Cup is the first tournament sanctioned by the newly formed CVFA, formerly the Cebu Football Association.
Orale expressed his gratitude to the organizers of the Hyundai Cup spearheaded by James Cabatingan and Josephril Partosa.
“We thank the organizers for this tournament because there are not that many 11-A-Side tournament here in Cebu,” said Orale.
Aside from the Magis Eagles, who are representing Mandaue, also competing are Don Bosco Technical College (Cebu South), KNF-Don Bosco Boys Home (Cebu Province), Gaher FC (Bohol), Sagay City, University of San Carlos (Cebu North), and Gannet FC (San Carlos City).
Tacloban was supposed to send a team. But the recent earthquake in Eastern Samar affected some of their players, which prompted them to pull out of the tournament.
Playing in their place is the Cebu Elite Under 15 team. /bmjo