ATFAP gears up for Asian Continental tilt

MANILA, Philippines - The American Tackle Football Association of the Philippines (ATFAP) joined six other Asian nations in the elite International Federation of American Football roster, gearing up for a shot in the first IFAF Asia Continental Championship in Kuwait next year.

Dodi Palma II, the founding member of ATFAP and president of the ArenaBall Philippines (ABP), said the ATFAP and the ABP will soon form the first tackle football Philippine team which will banner the country’s bid in the Kuwait meet which serves as a qualifier for the IFAF World Championship in Sweden in 2015.

“One doesn’t have to be six feet tall, 300 pounds, white-skinned, with facial hair and fluent in English to be able to play American football. Now any Filipino can play American football and be part of Philippine sports history,” said Palma, who founded and established the ABP, the first American football league in the country, in 2009.

The other ATFAP officials are April Palma, Apollo Angco and Jon Yamsuan.

Last year, ATFAP was given membership by the Philippine Olympic Committee, leading to the formation of the Aguilas Pilipinas, the first tackle football Philippine team.

Palma was invited by the IFAF to attend the Women’s World Championship and the IFAF Congress in Helsinki, Finland last month.

The IFAF Congress sets new policies to promote flag and tackle football around the world. With delegates from around the world attending the IFAF Congress, the Phl was voted upon as the 65th member of IFAF and the seventh Asian country as member of IFAF Asia along with Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Thailand, India and Mongolia.

Palma said that ATFAP will also form the first flag football Philippine team to compete in the 2015 IFAF Flag Continental Championship, a qualifier for the 2016 IFAF Flag World Championship.

For interested coaches, consultants, coordinators, trainers and players, contact ATFAP through email [email protected] or ABP email [email protected] or call 0939 9270085.