Rest of the Little Azkals leave for Pintaflores Nat’l U16 meet today

THE remaining members of the Philippine Under 14 better known as the Little Azkals will leave today for San Carlos City, Negros Occidental for a one-day training camp and to vie in the 5th Pintaflores National U16 Invitational Football Cup which will start tomorrow until Wednesday.

The Little Azkals were supposed to start their camp yesterday, but this was delayed due to the storm.

The tournament will serve as part of the Little Azkals’ preparation for three upcoming international friendly matches and their moving up to the U16 national team next year.

The Little Azkals will have a lineup of 18 players—Cebu’s Kintaro Miyagi, Lawrence Colina, Majordean Ebarle and Charlie Durano; Cagayan de Oro’s JB Borlongan, Juancho Fernandez and Troy Limbo; Davao’s Jed Diamante and Javi Romero-Salas; Dipolog’s Sean Patangan; Dumaguete’s Anton Yared and Christian Florence Lapas; Manila’s Marco Casambre, Harel Dayan and Ray Vincent Sanciangco and San Carlos City’s Vergara brothers Mason and Shanden.

The national U14 team will go up against a tough field comprised of two teams from Cebu—Don Bosco Technology Center and Abellana National School; Victoria’s DBTC; Negros Oriental Football Association from the Silliman University; Iloilo Football Association made up of players from the Central Philippine University; San Beda Highschool of Manila and a selection of players from host San Carlos City.

The tournament is organized by the San Carlos City Negros Football Club and supported by the San Carlos City government.

John Carmona, one of the organizers, said this is the only football club in the entire country that gives a subsidy of P24,000 to invited participating teams.

The tournament is sanctioned by the Philippine Football Association (PFF).

Carmona added that this serves as their contribution to the country’s football development and the programs of PFF because there are not that many tournaments held in this category. /CORRESPONDENT MARS G. ALISON