Claretian Players of the U13 National Football Team “Little Azkals”

John Abraham 1st year HS
Marco Alessandro Casambre Grade 7
Harel Rainier Dayan Grade 7
Ray Vincent Sanciangco Grade 7

In the 2nd semester of SY 2010-2011, the Claret Football Team U13 (Under-13) trained hard for the 2011 Palarong Pambansa Regional Games and emerged victorious as QC and NCR Champions. Claret subsequently recruited players from AdMU, Don Bosco Makati, Xavier School and CSA to play at the Palarong Pambansa on May 8-14, 2011 in Dapitan City, and placed 4th.

While the NCR football team was training for the 2011 Palarong Pambansa, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Grassroots Committee conducted regional try-outs in the country for the U13 National Youth Football Team known as the “Little Azkals”.  During the Luzon try-outs, Claretian players John Abraham, Marco Casambre, Harel Dayan and Ray Vincent Sanciangco were among the 74 promising players who were later culled to 30 and subjected to rigid training in Cebu. After 3 weeks of training at Don Bosco School, Lilo-an, Cebu, the 4 Claretians were part of the final 22 players chosen to represent the country at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) games in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

The Palarong Pambansa, Cebu training camp, and the Kota Kinabalu games in 2011 meant football activities the whole summer for the Claret boys.  Upon their return from Kota Kinabalu, they continued to participate in Little Azkal activities such as tournaments in Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and in the 6^th Asian Schools Football U15 Championship.

They also had the privilege of being assessed by German Olympic Committee Coach Eckhard Krautzun in a 2-day field and class session. Coach Krautzun saw a lot of potential in the young players but emphasized the need for better individual and team tactics.

The players are grateful for the unwavering support of the Claret Administration, the PTA, and the Alumni Association for the school’s football program and activities.

Another regional training camp and more tournaments are in the PFF Grassroots Program until May 2012. This includes a 3-week training program at the Scuola Calcio Giacomo Tedesco Football Training School in Palermo, Italy on April 16 – May 5, 2012. While the in-house program will be provided free, the team is now in the midst of seeking funding for travel expenses.