- Football
MAKATI FC captured seven of nine championships in the 24th Alaska Football Cup over the weekend at the Alabang Country Club in Muntinlupa City.
Emerging triumphant after the two-day competition which attracted 270 teams from all over the country are Makati FC's Boys U16 (2003), U15 (2004), U14 (2005), U13 (2006), U12 (2007), U10 (2010) and Girls 14. The club's Boys U11 (2008) and U9 (2012) finished second.
Aside from 10 young standouts from Negros Occidental, Makati FC also drew the best from its Indonesian guest players to elevate the competition level.
Nico Diola, who came from Dr. Vicente F. Gustilo Memorial National High School of Cadiz City, was named MVP in the Boys U16 division.
There were a total of 12 age divisions in the boys and girls in a 7 a-side tournament with the games to played simultaneously on 28 football fields.
Negros Occidental's Isaiah Jacob Teruel (Trinity Christian School), Andre Joaquin Algarme (Colegio de Sto. Tomas Recoletos),Dave Aiken Celis (Trinity Christian School), Jan Raven Diola (Dr. Vicente F. Gustilo Memorial National High School), Leoven Jay Gatungay (Colegio de Sto. Tomas Recoletos), Dominic Austin Dreyfus (University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos), Mark Gabriel Cantos (University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos) and Ryan Monares (Sagay National High School) also shone for Makati FC.
The Alaska Football Cup is biggest, competitive football tournament in the country where players aged 5-16 gather together every year to enjoy the game and, at the same time, test their skills in a competitive environment. It has been running since 1995 when Alaska tapped former professional international football player and Makati FC founder Tomas Lozano in leading the growth of the country's grassroots football.
The youth club's next tournament will be on Nov. 29-Dec. 2 in Thailand for the Bangkok 7s and was also invited once more in Indonesia on Dec. 13-15 to compete with the best international club teams from abroad. PR