Bacolod to host second Kampeon Cup

coming next month in October

The second edition of the AIA Vitality Kampeon Cup has a date, and is headed down south.

The La Provincia Polo Field in Bacolod will be serving as host of the best of the best in 7-a-side football on October 14-16.

This is the first time they will be able to hold the competition since its inaugural version at McKinley-Hill in Taguig, which Cebu claimed.

A 2020 edition had been in the works to take place in the Queen City of the South, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the proceedings.

This year's edition is expected to be a six-team field, with three of the four members comprising the inaugural field in Manila, Bacolod, and Cebu, being joined by Iloilo and Pampanga. The final entrant will be either the fourth inaugural team in Davao or by newcomer Muntinlupa.

Each team will be fielding their outstanding participants from their respective 7s competitions, with the chance to be called a national champion on the line.

AIA Vitality Kampeon Cup founder Anton del Rosario shares, "The Kampeon Cup is a tournament that seeks to bring the best football players all over the country in a festival-type atmosphere where there are games for kids, a tournament for the youth, women’s, and men’s with the Kampeon Cup in between."

The former Philippines international adds, "The Kampeon Cup is the culmination tournament that brings our nationwide efforts for seven-a-side football and to give the winning teams of each region a showcase for their talents at a higher level. By taking the best eight players in each city, not only do they represent their teams, but also their leagues, and cities."

Del Rosario hopes that the Kampeon Cup would eventually lead it to being an international competition.

"The goal for the Kampeon Cup is to be an international tournament where teams from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and others come over to participate," he concludes. "Now that will not only help the sport on a national level, but also foster better relations with our neighbors."