With bigger field, NOFA tilt kicks off

Twenty-four of the strongest Under-13 squads, including a team from war-ravaged Marawi City, will dispute the fourth Nofa Cup kicking off May 29 at Sta. Maria field in Bacolod City.

It will be the biggest tournament yet for Nofa with six more teams participating from 18 last year when One La Salle took home the crown.

An initiative of Nofa president Ricky Yanson, the 9-a-side competition has produced several players who have represented the country in invitational tournaments in China over the past few years.

“This is our contribution to help the skills and knowledge of young Filipino players,” said Yanson. “We believe that to improve football in the Philippines, a strong grassroots program is the long-term solution.”

What sets the Nofa Cup apart from other age-group tournaments is that it doesn’t charge registration fees and in fact gives a subsidy to players, tournament organizer Andrew Infante said.

“We make sure that they feel and enjoy the Negrense hospitality,” said Infante. “More importantly, we are hoping to see the best U13 players in the country play at Nofa Cup. This might give them a better chance of making it to the U14 and U15 national boys’ team.”