AFTER more than a year of planning, the 1st BRO National Football Festival will finally kickoff today at the Aboitiz Sports Field in Subangdaku, Mandaue City.
Rodney Orale, one of the organizers, said they have decided to do away with the limit in number of teams per category to accommodate all those who wanted to play. Around 200 teams will be competing today.
As a result, two of the eight brackets in the men’s open might be playing their matches today at the football field of the Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC) in Punta Princesa, according to Glen Ramos, the tournament’s overall chairman.
The men’s open gathered the most number of entries at 44, divided into eight brackets.
Aside from the men’s open, also to be contested today are matches in the players 7 and 9, boys 11, 13 and 15, and girls 15.
Matches will start as early as 7 a.m. and will halt at 9 a.m. to make way for a short opening ceremony with special guests Emilio “Chieffy” Caligdong and Ian Araneta of the Philippine Azkals.
The opening ceremonies was originally scheduled for 10 a.m. but organizers decided to hold it earlier to accommodate Caligdong and Araneta, who are going back to Manila at 1 p.m.
Also gracing the opening ceremonies are Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes.
This tournament is sanctioned by the Cebu Football Association. /CORRESPONDENT MARS G. ALISON