Around 100 teams from the Mindanao region are gearing up for the 25th edition of the Aboitiz Football Cup, scheduled to take place from February 28 to March 1 at the Tionko Football Grounds in Davao City. This annual tournament has become a significant event in the grassroots football scene.
During the launch event on February 13, Enric Zak Tia, president and CEO of Davao Light and Power Company, highlighted the tournament”s impressive history, stating that it has engaged over 2,000 teams and more than 50,000 players from across the country since its inception. “Making it one of the country”s most impactful grassroots football programs,” he noted.
The launch also included the signing of a memorandum of agreement among key partners, including Ernie Ortonio Jr., president of the Davao South Regional Football Association, Welfredo Dalumpines of Impact Load Climate Action from the Aboitiz Foundation Inc., and Arman Valencia, tournament director from CR7 Foodtruck.
This year”s competition will feature thirteen age-group categories, prominently including the Under 16 and Under 18 divisions. Ortonio remarked, “For nearly three decades, the AFC has served as a national platform for youth development, competitive excellence, and values formation through sport.”
The champions of the Under 16 and Under 18 categories will earn the opportunity to advance to the AFC Champions League, which is set to occur in the last week of May at the Aboitiz Pitch in Batangas.
