Sinulog Football tourney to kick off Saturday; 177 teams ready to compete at sports complex at SRP

The Dynamic Herb-Borromeo Sports Complex. | Glendale Rosal

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A staggering 177 football teams will strut their wares in the two-day 11th Sinulog Football Tournament 2023 at the Dynamic Herb-Borromeo Sports Complex in the South Road Properties that will kick off tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023. 

Rodney Orale, Central Visayas Football Association (CVFA) president, said that these were the total number of teams that would compete in the tournament on Saturday.

According to Orale, the venue is already prepared for the crowd control, security, and other aspects, to run the tournament smoothly the entire weekend.

“Among gibuhat karon, ang mga teams ra nga naay scheduled matches ang pwede makasulod sa pitch. Ang kadtong mosunod nga scheduled matches sa gawas ra sila pwede makahuwat para dili ma crowded ang pitch considering limited ra ang area sa venue,” said Orale.

(What we will do now, the teams who have scheduled matches will be the ones who can enter the pitch. The scheduled matches that will follow after will have to wait outside so that the pitch would not be crowded, considering the limited area of the venue.)

He said that the teams in each of the 14 categories would have designated colored wristbands so that the organizers and security could determine them easily and on what the category for the teams they would be. 

“Ang kadtong naay mga matches, 30-minutes before sa ilang match, naa na sila sulod sa pitch. Right after sa ilang match, pwede na sila mogawas, while ang uban diretso na sa awarding, depende kung mahuman dayon,” said Orale.

(Those who have matches, 30 minutes before their match, they are already inside the pitch. Right after their match, they can go outside, while the others can go directly to the awarding, depending if the games will be finished earlier.)

Ang oras pud nato sa Dynamic Herb giextend sa owner si Ugur Tasci para mahuman jud nato. Maong dako pud nako pasalamat,” he said.

(Our time to use Dynamic Herb (football pitch) has been extended by the owner, Ugur Tasci, so that all the games will be finished. That is why I’m so grateful to him.) 

Spectators only at grandstand

In addition, Orale said that spectators could only watch the matches at the grandstand and they would not be allowed to enter the pitch. 

Orale said that they were very thankful to the Sinulog Foundation Inc., especially to the President of the Board of Trustees Ricky Dakay for the financial assistance in organizing the massive football tournament in-line with the Sinulog Festival. 

Besides the security, Orale said that the Barangay Inayawan emergency medical team would be deployed throughout the tournament for immediate medical assistance to participants and spectators. 

Teams from Zamboanga, Zamboanguita, Dipolog, and Bohol will be seen in action in the tournament.

Most of the competing teams are competing in the men’s open category. 

Besides the men’s open, there are 13 other categories to be featured in the tournament.

These are the women’s open, mixed U7, mixed U11, boys U13, girls U15, mixed U9, boys U15, girls U17, boys U19, boys U17, men’s 40-above, men’s 50-above, and men’s professional. 

The artificial football pitch of the Dynamic Herb-Borromeo Sports Complex will be divided into four pitches, to accommodate all teams. 

A short opening ceremony will be held at 6:30 AM followed by the first match. 

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