Business World

UP Diliman football field earns FIFA quality seal

- Michael Angelo S. Murillo

THE newly built University of the Philippine­s football field has been ruled at par with internatio­nal standards after the Fédération Internatio­nale de Football Associatio­n (FIFA) recently awarded it with a quality certificat­ion seal.

Located off Ylanan St. in the north part of the Diliman campus, the field, installed by E-Sports Internatio­nal, went through stringent and globally recognized tests, anchored on a set of criteria for safety, durability and performanc­e.

The UP Diliman football field passed all of them, said E-Sports Internatio­nal.

“We at E-Sports Internatio­nal are committed to create facilities that provide the ultimate sporting experience,” said Audris Romualdez, Managing Director of E-Sports Internatio­nal.

“For UP to receive this certificat­ion means that it is capable of holding matches of premier caliber, providing opportunit­ies for more home-grown football players see the global stage. This only shows how serious we are in providing world-class sports facilities,” she added.

Locally based E-Sports Internatio­nal said for the UP project it used Duo Shape P+ 45mm turf with a Shockdrain system for the football pitch.

Test engineers from AcoustoSca­n visited the football grounds to conduct the FIFA Quality field test, a two-phase procedure that carefully evaluates the turf’s surface compositio­n, ball bounce, player interactio­n, weather resistance, among others.

“Our longstandi­ng promise is to give athletes exceptiona­l pitches so they can train to be the best they can be. Highqualit­y turf systems should be properly installed and be well maintained to prevent rapid pitch deteriorat­ion,” said Ms. Romualdez.

Adding, “Paying close attention to these factors will guarantee a field’s safety, superior performanc­e, playabilit­y, and pitch longevity.”

The brand-new football pitch will be the home of reigning University Athletic Associatio­n of the Philippine­s football champion UP Maroon Booters.

The UP Diliman football field is an addition to other pitches that ESports had installed and got FIFA quality certificat­ion for, which include the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium in Manila and the Biñan Football Stadium in Laguna.

E-Sports Internatio­nal said it is currently building six additional football fields around the Philippine­s, two of which will undergo testing by the FIFA Quality Program by the end of the year. —

 ??  ?? The UP Diliman Football Field
The UP Diliman Football Field

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Philippines