Press Release
MANILA – The National Capital Region Football Association Center of Excellence (NCRFA-COE) is set to provide more support to aspiring football players in the country after the U16 Philippine Team bagged the title of the 29th Lion City Cup in Singapore last month.
“We have a lot of Filipino talents in football and there is a need for strong support. We hope to provide that support and opportunity for our aspiring players,” NCRFA-COE president Miguel Alberto “Mico” Gutierrez said in a news release on Friday.
“Our role is to nurture that potential, create pathways for excellence, and give every deserving child the chance to shine,” he added.
The country’s U16 team bested Cambodia, Hong Kong, and host Singapore to win the tournament on July 13.
Senator Bong Go filed Senate Resolution No. 57 on Aug. 5, commending the Philippines’ U16 team for its first title in the Lion City Cup.
It was also the Philippine U16 team’s international title since its revival in 2013.
The Philippine U16 team was composed of athletes selected from various regional football associations from the National Capital Region, Zamboanga del Norte, Central Visayas, Laguna, Negros Occidental, and Davao, under head coach Tetsuya Tsuchida.
The Lion City Cup was organized in 1977 and regarded as one of Asia’s oldest and most prestigious youth football tournaments.
The team, under the strong guidance of NCRFA-COE, is now levelling up and will compete in the Asian Football Conference (AFC) U-17 qualifier in November this year.
The NCRFA-COE vowed to keep its football programs for advanced-level boys and girls in specific age categories by sending them abroad for training and for international tournaments.
The Association also plans to provide scholarships to deserving but financially-challenged players.
“We believe that the future of the Philippine football lies not only among Filipinos abroad but right here among our youth in our communities, and we hope to give our youth a fighting chance on the global arena,” Gutierrez said. (PR)
