Azkals take on Koreans in friendly

MANILA, Philippines - The Azkals will get another taste of foreign competition when they take on Korea’s Icheon Citizens on Jan. 21 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

The game comes on the heels of the Azkals’ charity match against Spanish Tercera Division club CF Internacional de Madrid last week and a friendly against superstar David Beckham and the LA Galaxy last month, sustaining the surge of Phl football.

Billiards promoter Dragon Promotions, making its first foray into the world’s most popular sport, and TV giant ABS-CBN are producing the event, another fund-raiser for victims of typhoon “Sendong.”

“We are really excited about our first venture into a new sport. Football is most watched sport of the world, and we are amazed at the growth of it in the Philippines. It literally feels like an overnight sensation due to the diligent work of the Philippine Football Federation and vast support of ABS-CBN,” said Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions.

Voted as the No. 2 Most Influential Company in the Sport of Billiards by a worldwide poll, Dragon Promotions has been promoting major pool events for over a decade. Locally, it has partnered with ABS-CBN in holding the Yalin Women’s World 10-Ball Championship and the Predator International 10-Ball Championship.

“We’ve had vast experience over the years in billiards, which is regarded by many as a niche sport. We have always had it in our minds to be as mainstream as possible, which means you have to be open minded. Our success in billiards has opened up many terrific new doors in different industries.

“For us to now go from a niche sport to the number one sport in the world is about as exciting as it can get for us right now. We believe the things we will learn will carry back over to our billiard events,” said Charlie Williams, founder of Dragon Promotions.

The Azkals are expected to have their hands full against the third-tier Icheon Citizens, the division champions in Korea’s league system parading a combo of “strong rookies and seasoned professional players.”