Airmen capture national beach football crown

Last April, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) won the Luzon regional leg of the Gentxt National Beach Football Series 2003, beating Philippine Army (PA).

And the same Air Force team later annexed the crown of the recent national finals held at the Caribou Restaurant beach front in beautiful Boracay, again beating the same Philippine Army team, 4-3, in a game decided only in the last five minutes as the teams battled to an exciting 2-2 stand-off at that point.

Air Force, which swept the four-team double round elimination round, beating Arm, local team Hey Jude, and Visayas champion Central Philippines University twice, was powered by tournament MVP Ian Araneta who booted in two goals, including the winning goal, and gave his team its first ever national beach football title.

"Now, we can say we have proven ourselves and completed all our goals as we have won practically all the national titles at stake in different variations of this game," said Air Force assistant coach Edwin Cabilda, referring to the fact that his team has also won the Globe Telecom Super Cup and a seven to a side tournament earlier, beach football is played barefooted, five to a side, and on a beach.