PRESIDENTIAL SON AND DAVAO VICE MAYOR BASTI DUTERTE HERE WITH NOFA PRESIDENT RICKY YANSON, URGES KIDS PARTICIPATING IN THE MINDANAO CUP TO CONTINUE TO PLAY FOOTBALL WITH NEGROS PRESIDENT RICKY YANSON
DAVAO City — Presidential son and Davao City vice mayor Sebastian ‘Basti’ Duterte took time out from his hectic schedule to urge everyone to support and play football during his visit to the kids participating in the Mindanao Cup in Davao City, Tuesday evening at the Davao City National High School gym.
Basti joined organiser and football patron Ricky Yanson Jr., together with Davao South Football Association (DFA) officials and other FA officials from Mindanao welcomed the kids in a pre-tournament dinner.
The kids were star struck of the celebrity Vice Mayor as he came in to the gym with his escorts and his casual clothes.
“I am welcoming you all in our city. You kids from all over Mindanao should not stop playing football. It is the most popular sport in the world we Filipinos should play this sport because we are small people,’’ he said.
He added that he is a basketball fan but he encourages everyone to play and support football because we have no chance in basketball.
“Look at Leonel Messi, he is so small yet he is a superstar. This is the sport we should play and follow,’’he said.
Basti also obliged together with Yanson to have souvenir photos with each 16 teams from all over Mindanao and getting a ‘Mano po’ from each of the young players. He then left for another engagement but the memory of holding his hands and hearing him urging them to play football is priceless to the players.
Yanson for his part also told the players how special Mindanao is. “When I was a player playing for University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City, I have met and played against many players from Mindanao and they impressed me.
“This is one of the reasons that I brought the Mindanao Cup here in Davao City.”
He added that players and coaches from Mindanao are passionate about the game, in times of peace and conflict.
“ The Mindanao Cup is the humble gift of NOFA to the people of Mindanao.”
He also thanked everyone who shared resources and talents to make this competition a success including vice mayor Basti Duterte and the Davao South Football Association president Engr. Zabate and all the Mindanao FA presidents. (l.biantan@gmail.com)
