Stage parents: Malditas have someone to watch over them during SEA Games campaign

KUALA LUMPUR—The Philippine women’s football team, sporting a moniker that means “mean girls,” has got some very supportive parents backing their antics.

Occupying a small section of the University of Malaya Stadium, the small crowd made up of mostly parents of the players were screaming their lungs out to cheer their daughters.

Khyren Angela Bretana Dimaandal was one of the Malditas whose parents flew all the day from Manila just to catch the matches.

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Dimaandal’s mother said they even had to buy another set of plane tickets because the football schedule was changed at the last minute.

“We just can’t miss her matches here in the SEA Games,” said the mother of Dimaandal, a BS Biology major at De La Salle.

Yet it was the parents, brother— and grand parents — of Anicka Chabeli Arrieta Castaneda and Sara Isobel Arrieta Castaneda who handily won the award of “stage folks.”

The Castaneda family flew in full force including mother Deedee and father Conz and brother Daniel. Their grand parents are also in tow.

Sara, 20, is an Early Childhood Studies major at La Salle Taft, while Anicka, 17, is high school senior at La Salle Zobel.

Their parents also joined the team in Tajikistan early this year when the Malditas nailed slot for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Jordan next year.

Unfortunately, the Malditas fell to four-time champion Vietnam (3-0) Thursday afternoon. But at 1-1, they still have a solid shot for medal.