Spain is the home of bullfighting, paella and the 2010 World Cup champions. This summer, I had the unique experience of visiting its sunny southern province of Andalucia and the capital city of Madrid.
I have been playing football since I was in the third grade. And I still love this sport. For me, it is the perfect sport because you get to be graceful under pressure, and the competitive level is just breathtaking.
This Aug. 24, the University of Makati (UMak) will burst with excitement as world-class talents fight it out on the football field. Sponsored by Clear shampoo, the all-star football game goes on its second year as British player and manager Dennis Wise joins James and Phil Younghusband and the country’s top football talents.
After winning all 16 games in this year’s United Football League, Team Socceroo Football Club’s second division perfectly finished this season and continues to play the sport with a “full heart”—the mantra of its late cofounder, Wool Reyes.
The all-star football game “Clear Dream Match 2” will be held Aug. 24 at the University of Makati, with 2006 Fifa World Player of the Year Fabio Cannavaro and former Chelsea team captain Dennis Wise in the lineup.
For a British-Filipino who just moved in from the United Kingdom a few years ago, Darren Heartmann has settled in quite fast.
It’s a nice cool morning when I arrive in Barangay 138 in Caloocan City. Nothing really seems out of the ordinary, except for the fact that the street is blocked on both ends to make way for kids playing street football.
Football? It’s everything. Football isn’t something I do, it’s who I am. I just feel closer to my soul when I play.” For 19-year-old Michael Yuvienco, goalkeeper of the San Beda College football team, the sport isn’t just a pastime—it’s a way of life.
College basketball, and recently, volleyball, have been enjoying immense popularity in the Philippines, thanks to the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP).
An MVP title holder of the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde swimming team, Miguel starts his day with a hearty breakfast at the crack of dawn at 3:30. He then goes to training from 5 to 7:30 a.m. As a swimmer, he is driven by the thrill of wanting to beat the competition. He knows he can achieve this through hard work and perseverance. His main goal is to keep putting his school on top. “A gold isn’t an overnight prize, every medal is a reward for the amount of work you put into your training everyday,” Miguel says.
