PH Azkals-SG Lions game in Cebu last year among highlights of local football body

Football has always been a thriving sport in Cebu. As such, it is no surprise that Cebu has contributed a lot—from players to coaches, among others—to futher the development of Philippine football.

Nov. 15, 2012 will forever be etched in the history of Cebu football because it was the day Cebu proved to the rest of the country that it can host an international football match.

It is only fitting then that this year’s football awardees in the 31st Sportswriters Association of Cebu-San Miguel Brewery (SAC-SMB) Cebu Sports Awards will be led by the Cebu Football Association (CFA) for organizing the first-ever international match at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) that saw the Philippine Azkals edged Singapore Lions, 1-0, in a friendly.

This made Cebu one of the only three venues in the Philippines ready for international football matches.

The Cebu Sports Awards will be held on March 17, 3p.m. to 5 p.m. at the North Wing of the SM City Cebu.

When the new officers and board members of the CFA headed by its president Pericles “Ricky” Dakay took over the management of the local football body last May 2012, they immediately went to work that led to Cebu’s first hosting of an international football match six months later.

The new CFA also showed how it can turn CCSC’s perennial dust bowl into a world class football pitch in less than two months with the help of the Cebu City government and the private sector.

Other members of the CFA were Rico Navarro (vice president), Michael Veloso (treasurer), Alberto  Herrera (general secretary) and committee heads Rodney Orale, Glenn Quisido, Nimrod Quinones, Raffy Musni, and Heinz Kuiueke.

Another major awardee is the DBTC elementary team coached by Joselito Bono. The teamruled major national tournaments such as the Milo regional and national Little Olympics, Central Visayas Regional Athletics Association (CVIRAA) meet, the Palarong Pambansa and the local Aboitiz Cup.

CEBUANO AZKALS

Leading the citation awardees are two members of the Philippine Azkals who trace their roots in Cebu—Ray Anthony Pepito Jonsson and Patrick Alcala Reichelt.

Jonsson is of Filipino-Iceland descent while Reichelt is half-Filipino-Half German. Jonsson’s mother is from Liloan of the Pepito clan while Reichelt’s mother is from Argao of the Alcala clan.

Paolo Pascual will once again be cited this year, this time for being the co-team captain of the Philippine Under-23 that saw action in the Southeast Asian Games.

Also to be given citations will be the seven Cebuano members of the Little Azkals or the Philippine Under-14 team. They are Kintaro Miyagi, Lawrence Colina, Majordean Ebarle, Vincent Erik Lovitos, Moiselle Angelo Alforque, Lorenzo Genco and Brandon Durano. Others who were picked for national age-group teams such as Cheska Toledo (U19), Arantxa Trebol (U13), and Eddie Alivio (Homeless World Cup) will also receive awards.

Cebuano coaches who were made head coaches of national junior teams will also be recognized such as Philippine Under-23 assistant coach Glenn Ramos and Little Azkals head coach Oliver “BingBing” Colina.