Biggest-ever Thirsty Cup opens today

CEBU, Philippines - A record-field of 243 teams coming from different areas of the country will vie for supremacy in different age brackets as the Thirsty Cup unfolds its eighth edition this afternoon at 5:30 at the Cebu City Sports Center.

The event features the players 6, 8, 10, boys and girls’12, boys 14 and 17, boys and girls’19, ladies and men’s open, 36-above and the newly-added 42-above categories.

Of all the categories, the men’s open division has the most number of entries with 60 teams, the biggest so far in the history of this event.

First held in 2004, the said event had become a trend-setter in local football opening the doors to both youngsters and young-at-heart to showcase their wares in a 7-a-side games spread in different age-brackets.

As football gains more interest with the popularity of the Philippine team called the Azkals, more are getting hooked into football including the girls.

With the total number of teams competing in, the event has become the country’s biggest festival-type tournament in terms of the number of participating teams.

Chad Songalia, co-tournament director of the event in yesterday’s press conference at Mooon Café at the IT Park said they even had to turn down other teams to ensure the smooth flow of event considering the overflowing number of entries.

Aside from having the biggest number of teams in the men’s open, the event also boasts of being an event with the most number of out-of-town teams with squads from Manila, Tacloban, Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Bohol, Dumaguete, Siaton and Bayawan in Oriental Negros, Baybay, and San Carlos City in Negros Occidental set to join.

Interestingly, majority of the other places joining in also has Thirsty franchises in their areas.

Today’s action will include the players’ 6, 8 and 10, boys 12, 14 and 19 while the distaff side will have the girls’12 and 19.

The games of the other divisions will be played in the next two days. (FREEMAN)