CEBU CITY, Philippines — Who would’ve thought that this young Cebuana, now a Grade 10 student, would be among the Filipinos representing the country in the recent Gothia Cup 2024?
Rhiauna “Yona” de la Calzada, 14, from Minglanilla, Cebu, is one of the fortunate athletes who represented the Philippines in the grand opening of the Gothia Cup, the world’s largest international youth football tournament, held annually in Gothenburg, Sweden. And this year, the Gothia Cup was held last July 14-16, 2024.
The Makati Football Club has been consistently joining this tournament for 39 years already and for Yona, this is her second year .
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Each year, around 1,900 teams from 74 nations participate, playing nearly 5,000 games on 112 pitches, making it a spectacular showcase of international football talent and cultural exchange. This is according to their official site.
Joining De la Calzada are fellow athletes from Manila and other provinces in the Philippines, all members of the Makati Football Club. Founded in 1976 by Coach Tomas Lozano, Makati FC is the country’s longest-running youth football academy.
On De la Calzada’s early days
De la Calzada’s first international trip with Makati FC was to Singapore for the JSSL Cup 2023, where the club won the Paul Parker Overall Champion title and their Girls14 team finished as 1st runner-up. It was followed by her first Eurotrip with MFC wherein they joined Cup No.1 in Denmark and was declared Champion, and then Gothia Cup in Sweden which ended as 1st Runner Up, all in 2023.
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In her earlier days, she shared that she began playing basketball at the young age of 7 at St. Benedict Childhood EC, where her footwork quickly caught the attention of her teachers.
“A teacher of mine introduced me to football coz she saw my footworks while playing basketball,” De la Calzada said.
Encouraged by her teacher, she tried football and began formal training under Coach Epifanio Ynot at Sacred Heart Ateneo de Cebu.
During the pandemic, she continued training at home with online instructions of her coaches. After the pandemic, De la Calzada and other female footballers formed a team called ‘Cebu Urduja’ to continue honing their skills. They were guided by Coach Jahm and Coach Bryan. She shared this experience with CDN Digital, highlighting the importance of their initiative during such challenging times.
Passion for football
Regarding her passion for playing football, De la Calzada continuously pursued activities that would hone her kinetic skills.
“With my continuous passion of playing football, I was invited by Coach Selu of Makati Football Club to join the team. I’ve been with MFC for 2 years already and I’m very thankful for giving me opportunities in the field of football. Trainings, tournaments, travels under MFC. This time MFC is also supporting my education,” she said.
Yona de la Calzada
‘Football is fun’
For those who are eager to follow the steps of de la Calzada, she left a message of wisdom for those who wants to try and play football.
“Football is so fun, its a combination of speed, endurance, ball control, and good decision making. Patience, discipline, and determination plays equal roles,” she said.
When asked of her plans, De la Calzada wants to continue balancing her studies and her love for football. A beacon for those students who also want to follow her steps in the world of football as well.