18th Aboitiz Football Cup officially kicks off
Cebu’s premier football and longest running tournament – the Aboitiz Football Cup – officially opened early September at the Cebu City Sports Center with local football fans eager for exciting and more action-packed games this 18th season.
Gracing the opening were basketball legend and Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Ramon Fernandez, AboitizLand President and Chief Executive Officer Andoni Aboitiz, VECO Senior Vice President Anton Perdices, and Cebu Football Association (CFA) President Ricky Dakay.
In his message, Perdices said that the Aboitiz Football Cup is part of the Aboitiz Group’s commitment to support the development of football in Cebu. He also emphasized the importance of the sport in the holistic development of the youth and athletes.
“The cup not only promotes the value of education through sports but also instills the values of discipline, sportsmanship and teamwork among our players,” he added.
During the ceremony, Cebu’s best national players who have made a name in football were also recognized.
As of September 2, over 4,000 players from 170 participating teams were already registered in the tournament, competing in different age brackets in 16 categories. This season, CFA added new categories to include 45 Above (11-aside), Under 21 (11-aside) and Ladies Open (9-aside).
Games will start on September 17 and will be held every Saturday and Sunday in five different venues – Cebu City Sports Center, Ateneo de Cebu, Springdale, Don Bosco Technology Center and San Roque football fields.
Prior to the kickoff, the Aboitiz Foundation, the corporate foundation of the Aboitiz Group, and CFA signed a memorandum of agreement last August 19 at The Outlets at Pueblo Verde in Lapu-Lapu City to seal the partnership in staging the 18th Aboitiz Football Cup.
Alongside the challenge of developing and sustaining a high-performance business culture, the Aboitiz Group has always been actively involved in initiatives that promote health and well-being through sports such as the Aboitiz Football Cup.
Aside from the Group’s annual sportsfest, the Aboitiz Group also supports athletic events such as the Aboitiz Invitational, Aboitiz TRI2016, and AboitizPower Tour of Subic. The Aboitiz Group also has its own champion corporate football club, Futbol Club Aboitiz.
Through events like the Aboitiz Football Cup, the Aboitiz Foundation supports one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, specifically on Good Health and Well-Being (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages).
