DUMAGUETE CITY – A total of 16 women’s football teams from across the country are vying for the 5th Pinay in Action (PIA) Cup, a 9 versus 9 Women’s Football tournament, which will be held at the Perdices Coliseum here from Friday to Sunday.
The PIA Cup, a project of Senator Pia Cayetano, aims to “empower women through sports and to challenge all provinces to come up with a 9-a-side (nine players per team) or 11-a-side tournament,” said Ayra Malabayabas, project manager of Pinay in Action, during a press conference at a local hotel here Thursday afternoon.
Malabayabas said that usually in women’s football, the matches are just for 5-a-side or 7-a-side events, and “that is a big challenge that we want to bring to the provinces” to increase the number of players on each team.
The teams vying for this year’s 5th PIA Cup are, from Luzon: UP Women’s Football Team X (Manila); UP Women’s Football Team Y (Manila); University of Sto. Tomas A (Manila); University of Sto. Tomas B (Manila);
From the Visayas: Bayawan City Football Club (Bayawan City, Negros Oriental); Futboleras Football Club (Negros Oriental); Silliman University Women’s Football Team (Dumaguete City); Kachella Football Club (Dumaguete City); Tayud United Football Club (Cebu City); and Sibulan Football Club (Dumaguete City);
And from Mindanao: UP Mindanao Women’s Football Team (Davao); Red Corals United Football Club Hermusoras (Zamboanga City); Dapitan Football Club (Dapitan); Dipolog Bad Bonitas (Dipolog); FC95 Iligan City (Iligan City); and Stonefield Football Club Damas (Ozamis City, Misamis Occidental).
This is the second time for the PIA Cup to be held here, the first being in January 2018.
It is organized in partnership with the Negros Oriental-Siquijor Regional Football Association (NORSIFA) and supported by the city government headed by Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo, and local sponsors.
While the games reel off here Friday, the official Kick-Off Ceremony with Sen. Cayetano is set Saturday morning at the Gov. Mariano Perdices Memorial Coliseum, with Mayor Remollo and Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo expected to join her. (PNA)
