The UAAP will delay the start of its Season 89 men’s football tournament to accommodate student-athletes who will represent the Philippines at the 20th Asian Games in Japan.
The league had initially targeted Sept. 20 for the opening of the competition but is now considering a start date in the second week of October, depending on the composition and progress of the Philippine men’s Under-23 team in Nagoya.
The Philippines is making its first Asian Games football appearance in 52 years and will compete in a group with Vietnam, Uzbekistan and Kuwait. The tournament runs from Sept. 22 to Oct. 3.
Several UAAP players are part of the national team pool, including Ateneo’s Dov Cariño and University of the Philippines standouts Josh Meriño and Fonzy Gonzalez. UP head coach Popoy Clariño is also part of the coaching staff as an assistant.
Philippine Football Federation president John Gutierrez welcomed the UAAP’s decision to give the national team priority.
“The Philippine Football Community comes together in the interest of International Sports,” said Gutierrez. “The PFF would like to thank the University Athletics Association of the Philippines for its consideration and support of the Men’s U23 Team that is set to participate in the upcoming Asian Games. The UAAP has adjusted their schedule to allow players to represent the Philippines in Nagoya, Japan.”
UAAP football tournament commissioner Rely San Agustin said the league has already made similar adjustments for previous international commitments, including the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup and the Southeast Asian Games.
San Agustin said the league could still retain the Sept. 20 opening if only a limited number of schools are affected by national team call-ups. In that case, matches involving Ateneo and UP, for example, could be postponed while other games proceed.
“The same with the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup and the SEA Games, we’ve also adjusted the schedule for this coming season, especially for the men’s division,” said San Agustin.
“We were originally scheduled to start September 20, but now we’re looking to start probably the second week of October. It really depends now on the number of UAAP players who will be chosen. If it’s only going to be a couple of schools — let’s say Ateneo and UP — then there is a possibility we can still push through with September 20, but no Ateneo or UP matches. That’s our way of adjusting.”
The tournament could also begin sooner than October if the Philippines finishes its Asian Games campaign early.
“The tournament can also start earlier than the second week of October depending on how our national team fares. We can start a few days or a week after the nationals’ last game in the Asian Games,” San Agustin said.
The UAAP intends to complete the men’s tournament before the Christmas break despite the compressed calendar.
San Agustin said the league could schedule triple-headers on Thursdays and Sundays to make up for the delayed opening.
“For the Season 89 schedule in the men’s division, if we were to adjust to the second week of October or even earlier, we can still manage to finish in December before the Christmas break. What will happen is every Thursday and Sundays will have triple-header matches,” he said.
UP, which will host the Season 89 football tournament, also backed the schedule changes to allow its players to fulfill their national team commitments.
“As the event host for UAAP football this season, the University of the Philippines fully understands the importance of accommodating our student-athletes who have been called up to represent the country,” said UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development director Bo Perasol.
“We are working closely with the UAAP to make the necessary adjustments to the schedule and ensure that our players can fulfill their national team duties while maintaining the integrity of the competition.”
Perasol added that hosting the tournament also gives UP an opportunity to contribute to the development of football in the country.
The UAAP’s decision continues its practice of adjusting its calendar around major international competitions. Last season, the league modified its schedule for national team commitments, while UP’s men’s campaign was also paused to accommodate the U23 team’s preparations for the 2025 Southeast Asian Games. FEU’s women’s title run, meanwhile, concluded shortly before the 2025 FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup.
The latest adjustment will allow UAAP players to pursue the Asian Games campaign without abandoning their collegiate commitments, while giving the league flexibility to complete the football season within the year. (Adrian Co)
The post UAAP moves men’s football opening to support Philippines’ Asiad stint first appeared on Fastbreak.
0 comments: