Alaska Football Cup welcomes disabled athletes

MANILA, Philippines – The Alaska Football Cup is considered the longest-running and most successful grassroots development program in local football.

It also has a heart.

For the first time in its 20 years of existence, the tournament has opened the doors to special individuals or people with disability that drew four 10-player teams at the Alabang Country Club grounds on Monday.

"It's a good way to highlight the 20th year of the Alaska Football Cup, by giving attention to special people," said Darwin Engracia, one of the coaches of the four participating teams consisting of intellectually challenged individuals including some with cerebral palsy and down syndrome.

"Hopefully in the future we can also gear towards unifying the normal players and special people so that later they will not feel labeled," he added.

Organizing chief Tomas Lozano said nothing is impossible.

"This year, they will only compete among themselves. Maybe in a few years, we'll let them compete in the Open section," he said.

Engracia is hoping football will be their way of attracting private sponsorships.

"It's the reason we're playing football and for them to make people in the corporate world aware we have this group needing help and hopefully they could sponsor us in the long run and they can consider us because these people are full of hope," he said.