CVFA continues to fuel football fever in Cebu with 150-team tourney on July 1

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The football fever in Cebu continues as the Central Visayas Football Association (CVFA) will be featuring over 150 teams in tomorrow’s (July 1) CVFA President’s Cup at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) pitch.

The three-day football tournament, which would kick off on July 1, would feature an eight-aside format, said CVFA President Rodney Orale.

In an interview with CDN Digital, Orale said he wanted to continue the football fever in Cebu that started during the Palarong Pambansa bubble football tournament last May, which initiated the return of the sport in Cebu.

It continued when CVFA hosted the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) U-19 National Championship Division 2 Visayas Leg this month at the same venue where its U19 team topped the competition. 

“Nagstart jud og balik atong football pagPalarong Pambansa football bubble. After ato nagplano na mi nga magorganize og balik og mga tournaments pareho ani para mabalik na jud ang excitement ug action sa football, pero niabot man ang PFF U19. Mao to amo usa to gi-una. Karon, makafocus na gyud mi og organize ani nga tournament,” said Orale. 

(We started to return to our football at the time of the Palarong Pambansa football bubble. After that we planned to organize again the return of our tournaments like this so that the excitement and action of football will return, but then the PFF U19, came. So we held that event first. Now, we focus in organizing the tournament.)

“Nakita namo sa CVFA nga wala kaayo mga tournaments sa Cebu paghuman sa Palarong Pambansa ug PFF U19. Mao to nakahuna-huna si Dr. Alvin Roxas nga kauban nato sa CVFA para magorganize ani nga football tournament which is a festival-type,” he said.

(We saw at the CVFA that there were not much tournaments in Cebu after the Palarong Pambansa and the PFF U19. That is why Dr. Alvin Roxas, who is our partner at the CVFA, thought about this kind of football tournament, which is a festival-type event.)

The CCSC pitch will be divided into four playing fields to accommodate the 150 teams which roughly fields in 2,250 players competing in 13 categories.

The 13 categories featured in the three-day football tournament are boys U17, boys U19, girls U17, girls U19, men’s U21, mixed U9, mixed U11, boys U13, boys U15, men’s open, ladies open, men’s 38-above, and men’s 50-above. 

Orale added that part of the tournament’s goal is to encourage the Cebuano football community to get back into action after two-and-a-half years of inactivity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Gusto namo makahibawo ang football community nga pwede na ta mobalik sa football practices ug tournaments. Dili na mahadlok basta mofollow lang gyud ta sa protocols. With regards pud sa mga parents, mahinay-hinay na nato og balik og paduwa after two years, nga walay activities. So, mangayo mi og suporta tugtan nila ang mga bata. Basta magbantay lang gyud ta,” said Orale.

(We would like to inform the football community that we can now return to our football practices and tournaments. We should not be afraid as long as we follow the protocols. Also with regards to our parents, we have now slowly returning the players to play after two years without any activities. So, we ask for their support to allow their children to participate. As long as we just would be vigilant.)

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