Football brawl involving young players and adult spectators spark outrage online
MANILA, Philippines — A football match turned into a free-for-all involving young footballers and spectators sparked an outrage online Tuesday as pictures and reports of under-18 players getting beat up surfaced.
The unfortunate incident that happened Sunday in a game between Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and Alcoy FC in the 16th Aboitiz Football Cup in Cebu, saw players including Alcoy FC’s goalkeeper assaulted and bloodied by a spectator.
Investigations, conducted by the Cebu Football Association, in the wake of the brawl are now on going and initial findings are out.
According to a report by Atty. Julius Entise, head of the incident’s investigation committee, the melee broke in the 37th minute after a foul committed by a player from Alcoy FC and a suggestive verbal taunt by a player from Ateneo de Cebu. The Alcoy player then allegedly punched the Ateneo player before the situation escalated when an Alcoy supporter came into the picture and punched four Ateneo players.
“It is most unfortunate that it happened. We fear some kids will lose interest in football because of this incident,” said Entise in a press conference Tuesday.
Significant changes in the tournament are also to be made with emphasis on its security following the mishap.
“Certainly, there will be changes on how the tournaments will be done, not just for the Aboitiz Cup. The bigger responsibility ultimately lies on the coaches. We have to focus on character development and values formation, not just skills,” Entise said.
“We are also looking into the culpability of the coaches and the officials. This opened our eyes to the fact that we cannot let people walk around at the venue. Only those with IDs can sit on the bench and we will add marshals,” Entise stressed.
Meanwhile, a Facebook post by a parent Nene Miyagi, who claims her son and Ateneo player Kintaro took blows from a spectator, also went viral on social networking sites.
Mrs. Miyagi wrote, that the spectator whom she identified as Pol Chris Idrik Costin, “came out of nowhere” and “suddenly punched my son’s right eye from behind” that “caused him to fall” before hitting his son in “different parts of his body” that resulted to “bruises and wounds.”
Mrs. Miyagi also said that she will file a case against her son’s alleged assaulter. With reports from Jonas Panerio, Cebu Daily News
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