27/09/2013
PRESS RELEASE
For September 28, 2013
JMC CUP 5
Calamba City. The Air 21 JMC CUP 5 Calamba Football Festival will be held on Saturday, September 28 at the sprawling green fields of the Rizal Plaza fronting the Calamba City Hall with some 40 football teams from the various private and public elementary and secondary schools under the Department of Education (DepEd), Calamba City participating in this annual event sanctioned by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) and the Laguna Football Association (LFA), organized by CFFI President and former Senator and Laguna Governor Joey Lina, and hosted by Calamba City Mayor Justin Marc “Timmy” Chipeco.
Calamba City Vice Mayor Ross Rizal will represent Mayor Timmy Chipeco, to welcome the more than 555 registered players and coaches in the JMC CUP 5 while Congressman Joaquin M. Chipeco Jr. of the 2nd District of Laguna will give his inspirational message as guest of honor having been the one who initiated this “Join in Making Champions” or JMC CUP project in 2012 during his last term as Calamba City Mayor.
It will recalled that JMC CUP 1 was launched last Feb. 9, 2012 with FIFA Vice President and Jordan Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein as special guest when they also launched the FIFA Asian Grassroots Development Program simultaneous with PFF’s “Kasibulan” program in Calamba City. Four (4) levels of the JMC CUP were held for CYs 2012-2013 with a total of 293 teams which participated in the Local, Regional, National and International levels of the first season of the Calamba Football Festival presented by Air21 and the Lina Group of Companies together with San Miguel Corporation and supported by Cherifer, Greenfields Development Corporation, Union Galvasteel and Yakult and the Philippine Sports Commission.
Also expected to grace this annual event is PFF General Secretary Atty. Edwin Gatanes, representing PFF President Mariano Araneta, and AZKALS Team Manager Dan Palami together with two members of his AZKALS Team, Angel Guirado and Ian Araneta. The AZKALs are expected to give valuable tips and inspire these young kids competing in the Under 9, Under 13 and Under 17 boys and girls categories as they join the guests in the ceremonial kick-off for this 7-aside, 15 minute/play competition with simultaneous eliminations managed by the LFA.
Also part of the program will be a very interesting interlude from an 11-year old Calambeno, Nicolai San Jose Abalos from Halang Elementary school who will share his unique experience as a member of the U9 and U13 Calamba Puppies team. Nicolai was the only kid from a public school from among the 22 young AZKALS selected by PFF from all over the country. They just arrived from a 3-week rigid football training in Longborough United Kingdom, England sponsored by the British Council as he celebrated his 11th birthday there last August 29.
Calamba Puppies’ Head Coach and LFA General Secretary Allan Payson said that LFA will scout the new members of the Calamba Puppies team supported by Air21, in coordination with the DepEd Calamba. Already, he said that the Calamba Puppies teams have been winning in the more than 12 football invitationals they participated in for CY 2012-2013. Most recent of which was when the Calamba Puppies won as overall champions in the U11, U13 and U14Girls Regional Football Festival organized by LFA. They were also the overall champions in the U10, U12 and U14 age categories of the Batangas Football Festival held last June 2013.
Calamba Football Festival, Inc. President Joey Lina, who was also recently elected as President of the Laguna Football Association, said that this project in Calamba will be a very good template to replicate in other towns and cities within the Province as part of LFA’s long-term program as they endeavor to make Laguna as the football capital of the country with the support o Air21, Greenfields Development Corporation and other sponsors committed to this common goal!
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