Foundation University celebrated the success of their trophy and medal haul at the first-ever Philippine National Games held in Bacolod City last week.
The FU Men’s futsal team won the silver medal after playing the Philippine Eagles national team, while Team IYSPeace won the bronze medal after playing against Metro TMS Davao.
Team FU beach volleyball won the bronze medal while the women Team FU futsal and beach volleyball placed fourth over all, narrowly missing the bronze medal.
Futsal is street football played by five players-a-side, running for 20 minutes each half.
Winning the silver medal was a big victory for the FU boys. “We never expected to win,” said head coach Vladimir Villacora. Playing coach Carl Rey Cabetingan said they met strong teams, as well as the Philippine team. “Our victory created confidence among our young players,” he said.
In addition to the medals and trophies, the FU mens’ and womens’ futsal team bagged the coveted “Fair Play Award.” “This meant that not anyone in the FU team committed a foul nor got a yellow card during the game,” said Giles Roxas, deputy director of the IYSPeace.
Morris Tulang of barangay Junob, also obtained a chance to play for the national team after having been chosen as part of the mythical five. He looks forward to joining the Philippine team in the next two years.
Tulang, a future accountant, had been playing football since he was in second grade. He noted that the sports program of Foundation University now requires athletes to also do well in their studies. “FU is very supportive and they give everything to the athletes. If an athlete has difficulty in a certain subject, the university provides him with a tutor,” Tulang said.
Tulang played for the Negros Oriental Football Association in the Suzuki Cup last April 15, where he gave Norfa four out of the five goals in one game.
In the girls football, youngest player Mikhaela Jumawan, 11, also won the admiration of the crowd as she skillfully wove her way through a maze of opponents twice her size.
“It looked funny because the scenario was like children playing futsal against adults,” said Dr. Aparicio Mequi, director of the FU Institute for Youth Sports & Peace (IYSPeace). “The crowd called our players ‘small but terrible.’”
A future teacher, Jumawan learned to play football while still in first grade, seeing her father constantly bringing a soccer ball whenever they had family time together.
“I was excited to play against the national players so I could get to know them,” Jumawan, who scored two goals, said.
Most of the athlete’s skills had been honed through an intense six-hour-a-day training by coach Victor Vicente “Dean” Sinco last summer.
Sinco made them play in small groups to initially determine their skills, and he gradually increased the team size as their skills developed.
Over a victory lunch last Wednesday, President Mira Sinco congratulated the athletes, calling them the “amazing team”. “You decide what you want to be and work hard to get there,” she challenged.