World’s Largest Youth Football Program Enters Finals in PH

Coca-Cola along with the partners, Dream Big Pilipinas Futbol Academy, Loyola Meralco Sparks Footbal Club and the local city of Taguig opened the officially opened the Coca-Cola Cup. (L-R: Edmund Qua Hiansen, Chairman of Dream Big Pilipinas; Atty.Adel Tamano VP for Public Affairs and Communications, Coca-Cola Philippines; Jorge Bocobo,City Economic & Investment Promotions Officer of Taguig City; Simon McMeneny, Training Director, Loyola Meralco Sparks Football Academy)

Manila, Philippines—The first Coca-Cola Cup in the Philippines culminates on 6 December and football aficionados are looking forward to an exciting, spirited match. Two teams of 18 are set to meet each other in the local finale of the world’s largest grassroots football program for the youth. 

The Coca-Cola Cup, which piloted locally in Taguig City last November, aspires to bring about the same team spirit, friendship and respect that the Coca-Cola Cup has fostered among 1.4 million other teenage players in over 60 countries around the world since it started in Zimbabwe back in 1995.  Over the past few weeks, Filipino youth have participated in a series of football clinics ran with the help of partners, Manila Electric Futbol Club, Inc. (MEFCI) and Dream Big Pilipinas Football Association (DBPFA). 

Coca-Cola Cup in the Philippines

“We are glad to report that our partners, Loyola Meralco Sparks Football Club (LMSFC), Dream Big Pilipinas Football Association (DBPFA), the City Government of Taguig, and the kids delivered an exciting pilot. This is the reason why we look forward to extending the program and seeing what else we can do to give kids and even Taguig City coaches more time on the pitch,” says Atty. Adel Tamano, Vice-President for Public Affairs and Communications, Coca-Cola Philippines. 

Introduced in the Philippines last October, the Coca-Cola Cup continues to attract interest in the game among the pilot participants, including 300 youth aged 12-19 from public schools in Taguig and 80 physical education teachers/barangay sports officers. 

From 300, the 36 best-performing players were trained further on the technical aspects of football and were given lessons in values formation. Inspiring young people to be active and healthy through their shared passion for the sport, the Coca-Cola Cup presents an opportunity to Filipino teens to pursue their football dream, and along the way, make new friends and learn to be part of a team.

The program opens big opportunities for the most promising players. By the end of the training program, select students will be invited into the Loyola Meralco Sparks FC Academy, should elite technical, tactical and psychological standards be met. A representative will also be selected to serve as an ambassador to represent the Philippines in the 2016 International Camp in France, along with the other Coca-Cola Cup football ambassadors around the world.

Active Healthy Living

“The Coca-Cola Cup embodies our vision to bring to the Philippines the spirit of sportsmanship, camaraderie and friendship that football nurtures. We are confident that we can create a strong foundation that will sustain interest in the sport in the years to come, and encourage more of the youth to engage in sports activities,” adds Atty. Tamano.

He concludes, “As part of our efforts to promote an active lifestyle, Coca-Cola Philippines has undertaken a number of football programs in the past, most notably, the Coca-Cola Football Festival, which ran every summer for four years. Through the Coca-Cola Cup, we continue our commitment towards welbeing through sports among the Filipino youth.”

Globally, Coca-Cola supports over 280 active healthy living programs in 115 countries, and is committed to help individuals make informed choices on food consumption, proper hydration, and the benefits of engaging in different forms of physical activity. In the Philippines, its sports initiatives include Copa Coca-Cola, the Red Cross Million Volunteer Run, and the Coca-Cola PBA Youngstars. 

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands.  Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world's most valuable and recognizable brands, our Company's portfolio features 20 billion-dollar brands including, Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, POWERADE, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia, Dasani, FUZE TEA and Del Valle.  Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks.  Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.9 billion servings a day.  With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate.  Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates.  For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.