Cebu Football

(This is the draft of my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu on April 30) WHILE I was inconvenienced, too, by the first Road Revolution, having to walk a kilometer while carrying a heavy box (while looking for an ATM, too), I don’t think that the Road Rev is a bad thing. Sure, there were many hiccups in the first road rev, but if folks give up after the first road bump—or 10th—we wouldn’t have new oval at the Cebu City Sports Center and if they wave the white flag now, perhaps they are really not that serious in their goals.

(This is the draft of my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu on April 28) I FINALLY got to see the brand new track oval at the Cebu City Sports Center and it looked great. It was a stark contrast to the wrinkled one that seemed to melt under your feet when the sun gets too hot. With the new oval, of course, comes the increase in the fees and I think the P15 for day use, up from P10, is justified. It’s still a whole lot cheaper than the P30 charged in Cagayan de Oro City. Besides, if you’re really determined to get in shape, paying a small fee for that shouldn’t be a deterrent.

(This is the draft of my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu on April 26) FROM just reporting about the latest football events, Sun.Star Cebu, as part of our 30th anniversary, will wear a new hat this year, by organizing our own football festival. And, depending on the reception of the community, it could be an annual event. The focus will be on the kids, so there might not be any men’s and ladies open and the 30-above divisions, but, based on the few ideas being thrown. This is going to be a different kind of tournament.

(This is the draft of my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu on April 23) IF PLANS push through, Cebu football fans could be in for a treat with a mini tournament involving England’s Loxwood FC, Global, Laos, Stallion FC and Queen City United in Cebu from June 21 to June 29. Kuni Ledesma and Phil Awcock, the representatives of Loxwood FC, first met Queen City’s Glenn Quisido, Raffy Musni and Stanley Villacin last January to discuss the planned tour in Cebu.

I CAUGHT the first set of Johnny Arcilla’s win againt Jurence Mendoza, and boy, was it something. Like a puppet master, the country’s number one had the youngster at the end of his strings, running on all directions. After another winner that had the country’s top junior netter looking, Mendoza’s shoulder sunk and he threw a look at the no. 1 men’s player as if to say, “someday, i will beat you.”

(This is the draft of my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu on April 19) SO, what's the latest on the complaint by Cristy Ramos against Lexton Moy and Angel Guirado? I'm not familiar how long things like these go, but the lack of news and the delay--perceived?--has led some critics to cry whitewash.

(This is the draft of my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu on April 16) OWING to the success of the men’s team in the AFC Challenge Cup, the Philippines is now at its highest in the world rankings at 148 during the latest release from Fifa.  We are at No. 22 in Asia, and third in Southeast Asia next to Vietnam (No. 97 n the world, 15th in Asia) and Thailand (141, 20). I think, depending on the results of the friendlies for the rest of the year, we could go as high as second-best in Southeast Asia, which mean’s Dan Palami’s target of becoming one of the top-ranked teams in the region has been hit a mere 16 months since he announced his goals during the BOG meeting in Cebu last January, 2011.

(This is the draft of my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu on April 14) BASED on the initial talks I had with a member of the Cebu Amateur Football Club, the group is aware that their getting the majority of the seats in the Cebu Football Association Board of Directors has led to fears that the CFA will just be focused on CAFC concerns to the detriment of others. A valid fear but the group is bent on uniting the different factions of the community and one of the club's first steps is to consider Ricky Dakay, Raffy Musni, Glenn Quisido and other CAFC guys in the new board as having resigned from their CAFC posts.

(This is the draft of my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu on April 12) TWO years ago, news about congress appropriating P300 million for a football stadium would have met with praises, now, only raised eyebrows greet the news. To be honest, I don’t expect much from the move because for one, Rufus Rodriguez initiated it. This from the guy who, when the sentiment was Oscar dela Hoya would beat the living daylights out of Manny Pacquiao, asked Congress to stop the fight.

(This report by Cheska Geli appeared on Sun.Star Cebu on April 10) SIX keepers have joined Paolo Pascual’s three-day goalkeeping clinic at the Aboitiz Sportsfield on April 12, 16 and 17. Pascual, who is in Cebu recuperating from an injury he sustained in the United Football League, decided to conduct a clinic in his spare time. His focus for now are the high school keepers because he believes they are at the stage of building their skills.

(This is the draft of my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu on April 9) I DON'T know what the new CFA board members have in mind as their first move, but I hope a general assembly is one of their major priorities. The lack of one was one of the major criticisms of the previous board and I think the intramurals before last month's CFA elections shows there really is a need for one.

(This is the draft of my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu on April 5) A FEW days ago, while promoting my "creative story" on Cedelf Tupas being named the new Global FC coach, I came about Matt Hartmann's apology published on Rick Olivares's blog . And since I was promoting an April 1 story, I thought, I'd tackle it on another day. Like Rick's, nothing has changed from my stand. I still think the punishment was too harsh and I think now that Hartmann has issued his apology, it's time to let this young man rejoin his club in the UFL.

(This is the draft of my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu, April 2 issue) CONGRATULATIONS to the new members of the CFA board, majority of whom, were nominated by the Cebu Amateur Football Club. It was a contentious election and there’s no use revisiting how these guys were elected.  What is important is we have a new board and a new chance for the Cebu football community to move forward.

INQUIRER reporter Cedelf Tupas has been hired by Dan Palami to take over the coaching post of Global FC in the United Football League. “ Di ko na kaya mag coach,” Palami, who is undefeated so far since taking over the coaching job, told Fair Play in an exclusive interview at an exclusive bar. “ Si Cedelf na lang because he really knows his football and I think hindi naman sya mag titwitter kung may maiwan syang gamit .”