Where to catch the Azkals

The Miami Heat have advanced to the NBA Finals and will play against the Dallas Mavericks, but aside from the fact that the two are not teams that I am rooting for, so it doesn’t excite me much.

What I am most excited about this weekend is the fact that the national football team is in town.

The Philippine Azkals are so popular that it is difficult to take them around without attracting hordes of fans. 

This 4 p.m., the team will be holding a practice session at the Aboitiz Sports Field in Subangdaku, Mandaue City. I was told that there is an entry fee of P100 for those who want to watch. There is ample parking in the Aboitiz Sports Field so you don’t have to worry much about your vehicle.

The Azkals will be back there tomorrow from 7 to 10 a.m. and in the afternoon they will be at the University of San Carlos-Talamban field for the awards ceremony of the 11th National Interclub Football Cup.

This football event is organized by the Cebu Amateur Football Club, the mother association of the Queen City United teams.

The Azkals are again scheduled to be back at the Aboitiz Field on Monday morning still from 7 to 10 and then in the afternoon, they will be at Ayala Center Cebu.

Having followed football for a long time as a sportswriter and at many instances also a player in the school and club tournaments, I am very happy to see the sport get that much attention.

There is, however, a price for fame and I’m sure that the Azkals would also appreciate it if the fans would allow them to do their practices without being bothered by autograph seekers and those wanting to snap pictures that they would post on their Facebook pages.

Maybe after the practices, this can be done, so please bear with the team officials if you are told not to go near yet and wait for the proper time.

Cebu has some of the most passionate sports fans and I have been in the middle of some incidents the past 22 years that I have spent as a sportswriter.

I was hit by all sorts of flying debris during basketball games and boxing matches. I almost got crushed during a visit of basketball stars and have rushed to the sidelines during matches that turned very rough at the San Roque Parish field to avoid being hit.

All that of course are part of the hazards of the job, but in general sports is very enjoyable if we can all play by the rules. The same goes for the fans and I hope you would understand.

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A very happy Atty. Vicente Fernandez II informed me yesterday that Team Cebu City won a gold medal in judo courtesy of Eichi Yahata and a silver from his sister Eiko in the Philippine National Games in Bacolod City.

The two Japanese-Filipino players, who are based in Tokyo, came here with their mother the former Myrna Medalle for the purpose of playing in the PNG as they will head back to Japan next week. 

I meet the two kids with their mom last week shortly after their arrival and they seem to be very excited to carry the colors of Cebu City, their mom’s hometown, in the PNG.

Earlier this week, Eichi also won a bronze medal in the senior’s division of the 90 kilograms class.

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MILESTONES: Happy birthday greetings to June Perez of dyAB, who turns a year older today.

Advance greetings to Atty. Marlon Yap and Kharoline Dante-Dizon, who are celebrating tomorrow.

More power to all of you!