One of the highlights from last year’s competition. | Photo from Thirsty Football Cup FB page.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The 19th Thirsty Football Cup is set to kick off tomorrow, Friday, March 28, at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) pitch, with an impressive turnout of around 200 teams vying for football supremacy.
The tournament, one of the country’s largest and oldest football festivals, has attracted teams from various regions, including Polomolok (South Cotabato), Davao, Bacolod, Bohol, Maydolong-Samar, Borongan, Cagayan de Oro City, San Carlos City, and Baybay City, Leyte.
The 19th Thirsty Football Cup teams will battle across 13 age groups for a shot at glory.
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The men’s open has drawn the most entries, with 32 squads raring to compete for glory. Additionally, around 20 teams are set to clash in the boys’ 15, players’ 11, and boys’ 13 categories, while 19 teams will compete in the players’ 9 division.
To accommodate the large number of teams, the CCSC football field will be divided into four pitches throughout the tournament.
This year’s edition of the Thirsty Football Cup has been moved to an earlier date compared to last year’s event, which was held in August to give way to Cebu City’s hosting of the Palarong Pambansa.
One of the major changes implemented by the organizers in this year’s 19th Thirsty Football Cup is the adjustment of age brackets. Instead of the usual even-numbered age groups, they have adopted odd-numbered categories for this edition.
In addition to the traditional Most Valuable Player award, organizers have also introduced several new individual accolades to recognize standout performances and performers.
The 19th Thirsty Football Cup will run from Friday through the weekend.