Two teenage girls and one boy from this capital are playing for the Philippine team in the prestigious youth football Norway Cup in Oslo, Norway.
They are Zara Gabriella Danieles, 16, Kelsy Anub, 15, and Alexis Abestano, 16, all members of the local youth football club here, the Football Kings United (FKU).
The three FKU booters were drafted to join the LAOS (Leyte Organization of Organized Sports) Football Club (FC), which is representing the Philippines in the Norway Cup –the largest international youth tournament in the world– from July 27 to Aug. 3.
The FKU, in a media release on Tuesday, said the LAOS FC, based in Quezon City, organized a delegation of 20 girls for the Under 16 category and 18 boys for the U16 and U19 categories in the Norway Cup.
All participating teams are members of the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) affiliated national football association.
Zeph Repollo, the mother of Danieles, told the Philippine News Agency in an interview that her daughter has been training in football since she was five years old, with other young booters from this Negros Oriental capital.
“It is an honor for our family and Dumagueteños to have these girls participate in an international football competition and we hope that this will inspire more young athletes to reach their dreams at the global level despite many challenges,” Repollo said.
She also hoped to see more support from the local government and the private sector in strengthening the sports programs here.
Danieles played in the U17 Philippines Women’s National Team to compete in Japan. She was also drafted into the Buglas Filipinas, which competed in the Singapore Cup in 2023. While a resident of Dumaguete, she is honing her skills at the De La Salle Santiago Zobel School in Metro Manila as a varsity student.
Anub is currently a student of Silliman University here and was also called up to Buglas Filipinas to compete in the Singapore Cup in 2023.
Abestano, also a student of Silliman University, has had playing time with Apuesto Bueno FC competing in Bali, Indonesia in 2022.
These football players have been carefully groomed by FKU coaches Andy Mananquil and Damien Nocete.
Honing the skills of young football athletes “brings the community together, offers growth opportunities, and inspires other kids to follow their dreams,” Mananquil said in the media release.
Started in 1972, the Norway Cup today is currently hosting booters from 34 nations, with more than 2,183 teams all vying to reach the pinnacle of youth football on the global stage, the FKU said. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
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Photo Caption: Zara Gabriella Danieles, Alexis Abestano and Kelsy Anub, all members of Dumaguete’s Football Kings United, wave the Philippine flag as they join the country’s team to the Norway Cup. (contributed photo)
