Cebu's football capital

The San Roque Parish Field in Subangdaku, Mandaue City used to be my Sunday afternoon hang out as a new sports reporter 21 years ago.

I wasn’t hanging out there though just for the company of the friends I made covering the football tournaments, but because of the games that were played on Sundays on what, I should say, up to now is Cebu football’s hallowed ground.

Although there are now new structures and trees that you see around the field more than two decades since I started my career as an intern of The Freeman, there is something about the San Roque Parish Field that still draws the crowd during games that proves why the place is the football capital of our province.

Last Sunday, the field was again teeming with people for the final day of the 10th National Inter-Club Football Tournament organized by the Cebu Amateur Football Club.

There were players from all ages and sexes all eager to receive the trophies and medals that they won. There were equally excited parents, whose passion for their kids is helping the sport of football in Cebu grow by leaps and bounds for almost a decade now.

There were even many former players, who still couldn’t resist the lure of the field even way past their playing years. (I guess I am forced to belong to this category now even if I still don’t want to.)

If there is another thing aside from football that draws these people together on a hot Sunday afternoon, it is also the friendship that has been cultivated through the many years of playing the game.

My fellow members of the CAFC are mostly working men, who also have their own families to take care of. 

The years that passed since those days when we played in the age group category until we reached college and in the commercial leagues in Cebu have not however diminished our passion for the game.

Many of us have children playing the game and many like Glenn Quisido and Raffy Musni have equally enthusiastic wives, who would always be there to give their moral support to the activities.

The Cebu football community thrives because of the men and women, who love the game and have infected others.

The tenth year of the national inter-club has been possible because of dedicated people like Greg ‘Goryo’ Balsicas, Patrio ‘Don-don’ Ramos, Peter Bordador, Tenggoy Colmenares, and many more, who would want to share their passion to others.

My last pair of soccer shoes has just recently been handed over. It still holds its place in the family’s shoe cabinet, but now it is my son, who wears them, not even for futsal, but for those times that he feels it matches the clothes he’s wearing.

I still have a lot of jerseys in my closet. Many of them haven’t been worn for a long time, but it seems that each time I empty the closet to give away those that I don’t anymore use, I can’t seem to let go.

Maybe it is because the fact that many of them have my name or familyname on them or maybe it is because I am still dreaming of getting back to wearing them to a game. I know I will be back, not necessarily to play, but to be with my friends from the football community.

See you again soon.

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MILESTONES: Belated birthday greetings to one of the pillars of the CAFC and Cebu football as a whole, Engr. Pericles ‘Ricky’ Dakay, who turned a year older last Sunday.

Belated greetings also to my Tao brother Tirso Ramon Roa, who turned a year older last Monday as well as to Gilbey Cleopas-Mercado, Reinier Lapitan and Yvette Malahay.

Belated greetings also go to Conrado ‘Rady’ Abarintos, who turned a year older yesterday as well as to Madonna Sitoy.

Today’s greetings go to Lady Genevieve Cabahug-Ybañez, Mae Angelie Sabac, Rey Villavelez, and Robert Aldemita.

More power to all of you!