Val Calvo relishes moment fighting for flag and country abroad

CEBU, Philippines - Promising Cebuano booter Valentino "Val" B. Calvo relishes with so much joy and pride in his heart the rare moment of  being able represent the country well in a string of international competitions this year.

"One of the best experiences of  my life. Representing the country against Asia's best in the Kanga Cup, AFF and AFC qualifiers. We emerged champions in Australia, finished last in the AFF and ended up 3rd in the recently concluded AFC. It  was a honor to represent the country and I hope to continue representing this country again soon," said Calvo.

"I would like to thank first of  all God, then our managers, the PFF, our coaches, parents, friends and fellow countrymen who never stopped believing in us," said the 18-year-old proud product of the extensive Don Bosco football program.

Three months ago, Calvo knocked in the winning goal as the Philippine Under-18 football team subdued the Capitol FC, 1-0, to clinch the championship of Kanga Cup 2013, a tournament in Australia featuring clubs and schools around the world. Overall, he unloaded a total of five goals out of six games.

Calvo, who will be playing for the College of Saint Benilde in the NCAA, also formed part of the Teen Azkals Phl squad that saw action in back-to-back major events in Indonesia recently. The rest of  team include Paeng de Guzman, Amani Aguinaldo, Ian Clarino, Mark Besana, Junnel Bautista, Va Rey Diaz, Arnel Amita, Skie Carranza, Daniel Gadia, Dielo Diamante, Yoshi Koisumi, Nick Bollier, Enzo Cheng and Kevin Hartmann.

They were the tail-enders in the ASEAN Football Federation Under-19 Championship last September  21-28 in Surabaya, but placed third behind host Indonesia and South Korea under Group G during the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-19 Qualifiers at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

Calvo believes that the exposure they gained from showcasing their skills abroad is a big boost to their personal growth and career advancement as a player, but he gamely admitted that they still need to work harder and improve on a lot of things for them to succeed in their future endeavors.

"We will continue to train and improve our performances," said Calvo, who, as a Bosconian striker, grabbed back-to-back MVP trophies during the Baguio Victory Cup and the Mizuno Football Cup two years ago. These are just a few of his shining credentials that landed him a spot on the bigger football stage in Manila. (FREEMAN)