Gaining ground

Losses in the semifinals and the battle for third kept the Malditas out of the podium—but also hopeful of making more strides in the sport. —EARVIN PERIAS

Sustaining the gains made by women’s football in the country, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) was awarded the hosting rights for the 2020 Asean Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Championship.It will mark the first time that the country is hosting the annual competition won last August by host Thailand in Chonburi.

The AFF gave the country the go signal to host the tournament during its recent council meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, attended by PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta and general secretary Edwin Gastanes.

“It is a great honor for PFF to host the upcoming AFF Women’s Championship 2020,” Araneta said.

“Women’s football has been in the limelight due to the success of the national team. This will be a perfect opportunity for local fans to watch and support the Philippine team as it fights for pride.”

The Malditas finished fourth in last year’s tournament, raising expectations of a podium finish in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games early this month. But the team of coach Let Dimzon lost to eventual gold medalist Vietnam in the semifinals before absorbing a 2-1 defeat in the battle for third place.

“The Philippine women’s national team has been on a steady rise for several years already,” Gastanes said. “We want to continue the development of women’s football in the country through this tournament.” INQ