Ilonggos are somewhere else

I’m not sure if it was meant to be but Ilonggo teams are conspicuously absent in the current 9th National Interclub Football Cup hosted by Cebu.

Not a trace, as in nil!

There are out-of-towners from Bohol, Davao, Dumaguete and even Quezon City but no team from either Iloilo or Bacolod.

I could think of three reasons why Ilonggos aren’t playing – they’re too mediocre they didn’t qualify; they were not invited; or they are playing somewhere else.

No offense to Cebu but Iloilo (particularly Barotac Nuevo) is the real hotbed of football in the Philippines.

Without a team from Iloilo, this interclub championship is a little bit bland, although I know action has been intense in three pitches were the games are currently played. Throw in Bacolod and we truly have a tournament. Bacolod, Cebu and Iloilo - these three are furious rivals anywhere they play.

Personally, I’d like to see Ilonggo teams (meaning teams from Iloilo and Bacolod) in the youth division – from the six years old to U17 categories.

The action is in the youth division. Believe me, there’s no lack of players in the youth class. With a couple of Ilonggo teams in the youth division, I’ll assure readers that there will be more competition for Don Bosco and Sacred Heart.

Just like Nimrod Quiñones, our managing editor, I’d missed the pitch so much. I haven’t played football for so long because I just don’t have the luxury to time. I would devour every football report turned in by Caecent No-ot Magsumbol as she would usually cover these events. 

Unlike, Nimrod, however, I don’t have a team here in Cebu. The closest thing I’ve had to playing was during my stint as scuba diving instructor in Shangrila Mactan some years back. I got the invite from fellow instructors to play with them in Lapu-Lapu. I never played because the games were on Sundays.

Now back to the Ilonggos. I don’t think they’re that mediocre or they didn’t qualify to play in Cebu. Thus, I tried to search the internet for a tournament that may have prevented Ilonggo teams from playing in Cebu.

I found out that there’s the 1st Milo Football Festival Caravan for six to 17-year-olds in St. La Salle in Bacolod City. The tournament kicked off in Dumaguete City last May 8 and will have stops in San Carlos City (May 10), Lapaz, Iloilo City on May 14 and in Iloilo City Plaza on May 15.

The caravan will culminate in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo on May 16 and 17. The matches will be played in the P10-million National Football Training Center at Barangay Tabucan. The 3-hectare football center is the only one in the country. It offers training and lectures for 30 players, coaches and officials at a time.

Seems that the Milo tournament is the culprit even if it’s only a friendly. With a conflict in schedule, it would be impossible for Ilonggo teams to play in Cebu especially with matches in Iloilo and Bacolod. Notice there’s no stop in Cebu?

I wish organizers could do a better job next time. Ilonggo football teams will surely make the competition a little more intense.

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Congrats to Goldie Lebumfacil, one of our sportswriters, for passing the Teacher’s exams. Now I hope you won’t resist when we call you “Ma’am!”

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