In Love With Girls…Futsal

BULUA STRIKERS. ONE OF THE FAVORITES IN THE COMING PIA/CDO FUTSAL INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT SET ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AT THE BULUA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL COVERED COURT AND PAGATPAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GYM.

by Jack Biantan

I DID not like Futsal before until I watched the Central Visayas Girls Futsal team during the Vigan Palaro last summer.

The Civies dominated the Palaro winning all their matches and eventually the gold medal by whipping the National Capital Region (NCR), 10-2, in the championship.

SACRED HEART SCHOOL/ATENEO DE CEBU TEAM

I was really impressed by the way the CVIRAAA team played. They completely outclassed their opponents with their skills and their individual talents.

It was then that my love affair with this fast rising sport started. 

When facing, Northern Mindanao in the quarterfinals, the Central Visayas girls had a scare when they were held scoreless early in the first half and even trailed 0-1. 

Alexis Gonzales from Bukidnon gave the Region X an early lead with a booming free kick from the left side. Gonzales’ free kick however was the last effort that the girls from Northern Mindanao could master as former national youth players Itsuko Bacatan and Arantxa Trebol led the Civies charge to win the match 3-1.

Trebol and Bacatan and the core of the Palaro girls were products of the Sacred Heart School/Ateneo de Cebu girls futsal and football program, orchestrated by then head coach Apol Bariñan and coach Melanie Bordalba.

Bariñan was coaching SHS Ateneo de Cebu for eight years and now has moved to head the Futsal program of the University of San Carlos.

Bordalba is a product of the San Roque football culture based at the San Roque Parish field in Subangdaku, Mandaue City.

Despite of the loss of Bariñan, the Ateneo de Cebu Futsal program now under Bordalba, continues to flourish. 

XU GIRLS TEAM HURDLE DURING THE DISTRICT MEET. THEY ARE JOINING THE TOURNAMENT IN PREPARATION FOR THE COMING DIVISION MEET SET IN OCTOBER.

This coming Saturday and Sunday they are among the more than 30 teams in three divisions which will compete in the Pinay In Action/CDO Futsal Invitational tournament set at the Bulua High School covered court and the Pagatpat Elementary School gym.

Former Senator and the champion of women’s rights Pia Cayetano is supporting this tournament through her Pinay In Action Football and sports programs. Her tireless executive director Ayra Malabayabas pushed for this tournament to develop the Futsal among girls. 

Supporting the tournament are the Bulua Principal Minda S. Rebollido, Pagatpat Principal Jenny Espina and CDO DepEd Division Superintendent Jonathan Dela Pena. (l.biantan@gmail.com)