Picture-perfect Aboitiz Cup

The course is not that hard but you be wise playing it. KIM JOO HYUNG after finishing at joint second in Day 1.

Another thing that makes the Aboitiz Cup unique in Cebu is that—save for the DepEd and Cesafi meets—it is what the coaches look forward to and they sometimes use the other festivals as tune-up matches for their Aboitiz Cup stint.

Almost all Cebuano football fans who saw the pristine artificial football pitch put up by the Aboitiz group in Batangas had one reaction: Ngano na-una sila? (Why did they get that first?) There have been talks of an artificial pitch in Liloan for years now but there’s no progress; I heard about the Liloan pitch before the Batangas pitch, which was finished first.

But fret not, that the Aboitizes put up one in Batangas means it’s open to putting up other pitches in its numerous community projects all over the country. I just hope that Cebu won’t be the last. I heard also that there’s going to be an Aboitiz Cup to be hosted in Batangas, one that will copy the Cebu concept.

I believe that’s going to be the first Aboitiz tournament outside of Cebu, which means it’s a step closer to realizing that planned Aboitiz Champions League they started discussing two years ago. If they can export the Aboitiz Cup to other areas--Davao, Cagayan, Iloilo and Bacolod, for example--we can have the champions from these areas meet the Cebu winners in a Champions League type tournament.

Of course, it won’t be feasible to do it for all divisions, since as of last count, the Aboitiz Cup has 15 divisions. Maybe a division or two each for the boys and girls categories? That would make it smaller and more manageable and, of course, less expensive.

However, aside from the tournament, I hope it’s the community spirit that has helped make the Aboitiz Cup a success that will also be replicated. Cebu is unique in that it has a football calendar, one that impressed a visiting Manila writer, who added that in one venue in Manila, they had two or more tournaments, using the same sets of players.

That’s not to say, of course, that it was all rosy from the getgo as Cebu football went through an upheaval, but what is important is the product of such.

Another thing that makes the Aboitiz Cup unique in Cebu is that—save for the DepEd and Cesafi meets—it is what the coaches look forward to and they sometimes use the other festivals as tune-up matches for their Aboitiz Cup stint.

An exported Aboitiz Cup in other areas, of course, won’t generate such a level of interest in its first edition, but succeeding editions might, especially if it leads to a Champions League.

And an Aboitiz Champions League hosted on an artificial pitch in Cebu? Now that would be picture-perfect!