BACOLOD HOST NATIONAL WOMEN’S SELECTION

But apart from just hosting the tournament per se, the tournament will also be used to help boost local tourism in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.

The tournament is hosted by the Executive Village Football Club (EVFC) in cooperation with the Philippine Football Federation (PFF).

“I’m sure tourism in our city and province will get a needed boost with the arrival here of at least 12 participating teams — six per category – plus their supporters who will be occupying our local hotels and eating in our restaurants during the week-long event,” said Junie Lizares, the head of EVFC.

The teams taking part in the tournament are for both the Under-18and Under-13 categories and they come from NCR, Davao, Cebu, Iloilo and Negros Oriental/Dumaguete.

Head coach of the U18 Negros squad is former University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos varsity player Warren Concepcion while head coach of the U13 team is veteran Jose Reymando Baldava of Victorias City.

The objective of the tournament is to help national coaches select members of the national U18 and U13 squads.

The national U13 team that will be formed after this tournament will don country’s colours in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Festival of Football in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in June this year.

For the U18 nationals, they will compete in the AFC Asian Women’s qualifying event in October this year at a still to be announced venue.