Fortysomethings keep football passion burning
They’re not exactly like the hunks and heartthrob football stars of the Philippine Azkals, but these players have seen better days.
Not a few sport paunches with graying or thinning hair. Still, they have kept the football passion alive long before the Azkals became a household name.
“You don’t want to stop playing once you have learned to embrace and love the game,” says Agustin Dable of the La Paz Football Community (LPFC).
Dable, 41, had played midfielder in the national team and is among a group of sport enthusiasts organizing football tournaments for players who are at least 40 years old.
Their games are played at least once a year, usually during town fiestas and attracting retired and former standout players.
Adjusted rules
The 90-minute matches follow the standard rules except for minor adjustments. Unlike regular games, a 40-and-above tournament allows “open substitution”—no limit of replacements for players on the field, and those replaced may return.
“They need to pace their playing time because we’re not in shape as before,” Dable says.
Games are usually played not earlier than 3 p.m. so the heat is more tolerable. These are scheduled in successive weekends with a team playing only one game per weekend.
“The running joke among players is that sales of painkillers go up after each game,” LPFC player Ricky Jotes says.
Dable says organizers are very strict with the age limit to ensure that the teams are evenly competitive. “Absolutely no player below 40 can play. We know each other so we would know if anyone is trying to get around the age limit,” he said.
‘Laos-lagtok’
Although much slower in running after the ball, the players make up with passion.
Jotes, 42, who had played forward in the Iloilo team in national tournaments, said the 40-and-above competitions evolved from many years back.
The tournament was then called “laos-lagtok” (spent-cracked) tournaments,” a word play on the players’ age and physical condition.
School owner and player Ramon Mabilog says his group hopes to keep the interest in and passion for the sport burning, especially among the younger generations.
The players lament years of decline of football even in Iloilo, the acknowledged center of Philippine football.
Mabilog says the lack of a sustained grassroots training program has dampened interest in the sport and affected the development of quality players.
Football’s resurgence, especially after the Azkals won major international competitions, offers opportunities to generate support for football communities, Dable says. He notes that during the group’s last tournament, spectators flocked to the field even during a basketball tournament beside it.
In the recent contest, the LPFC won against Sta. Barbara and Barotac Nuevo towns.
Mabilog says the organizers plan to hold more tournaments, form more teams and hold clinics for young players.
He notes that stories about Ilonggo football greats continue to be told and passed on among generations of players. “These stories inspire generations of players to keep on playing the game,” he says.
