Allianz futsal stakes foreign training

MANILA, Philippines — Organizers expect a lot more discoveries from the grassroots as 2018 Allianz National Youth Futsal Invitational expands to nine areas all over the country and opens its doors to girls this year.

The tournament, staged by The Henry V. Moran Foundation and Allianz PNB Life Insurance, Inc. and sanctioned by the Philippine Football Federation, kicks off with its local eliminations in key cities from April 27 through May 13, giving aspirants the chance to strut their stuff and vie for stints in the Allianz Junior Football Camp in Thailand and eventually Germany for training with FC Bayern Munich.

Five boys and three girls will be selected after the competition featuring the 12U, 14U and 16U age groups to form “Team Pinas” to the AJFC Asia camp in Bangkok in July, and from there two boys and one girl will be selected to go to Munich for training in Germany and rubbing elbows with their Bayern idols.

Allianz CEO Alexander Grenz said the tournament and the camp “speak of Allianz’s continued commitment to the promotion of the sport of football in the Philippines at a time we’re seeing a renaissance in a country that produced the likes of Paulino Alcantara, Eddie Pacheco, Phil Younghusband and Chieffy Caligdong.”

“Allianz also believes in the values of teamwork, passion and discipline, to name a few. We’re committed to instilling these values in the next generation of football players,” he said during yesterday’s presscon with THVMF chairman Danny Moran, Allianz chief marketing officer Gae Martinez, Allianz branding communications and digital director Rei Abrazaldo, Philippine Football Federation president Nonong Araneta and PFF futsal department head Kevin Goco.

The local elims are set in Iloilo (April 27-28), Dipolog (April 28-29), Baguio (April 30-May 1), Naga (May 4-5), Metro Manila (May 5-6), Bacolod (May 16-17), Cebu (April 27-29), Davao (May 5-6), and Cagayan de Oro (May 12-13).

The top 2 teams from the 14U and 16U advance to the Luzon Regionals (May 19-20 in Sta. Cruz, Laguna), Visayas (May 25-26 in Bacolod), and Mindanao (May 26-27) and then regional champions meet in the national finals on June 2-3 in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

“We see a lot of enthusiasm from these areas to participate in this activity. There’s a lot of excitement and we’re very pleased that there will be eight players to be sent to the camp, from five last year. And now, it will include girls. We welcome the addition of girls and we expect the level of play to increase in both boys and girls because of this,” said Moran.