PFF ready for AFF Women's Futsal Championship hosting

c/o PFF

In a few weeks, the Philippine futsal scene gets to major canvas to paint itself, with the inaugural edition of the ASEAN Women's Futsal Championships.

Philippine Football Federation president John Gutierrez says about the upcoming competition, which will take place at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City, "This Asean Women’s Futsal Championships is historic because it is the first ever for the region, and it will be the first ever international tournament under our new administration."

He adds, "With awareness and participation for women’s football at an all-time high, we are continuing the tremendous work that the Filipinas have achieved in the last several years. And with futsal also growing, this hosting of the Asean Women’s Futsal Championship is an exciting follow-up that stands on its own as a precursor to our hosting next year’s FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup."

The tournament will feature four more regional squads who are relative high in the FIFA Futsal rankings: sixth-ranked Thailand, eleventh-ranked Vietnam, 24th-ranked Indonesia, and 37th-ranked Myanmar.

For the 59th-ranked Philippines, it is the latest step to get this team competitive for the inaugural edition of the global competition, slated to take place from November 21 to December 7 next year.

It marks a continued strong projection for the side which the PFF has been investing since 2021 alongside the Henry Moran Foundation. They finished second in the PFF Tri-Nations Women's Futsal Invitational last year, coached by Vic Hermans. The Dutch gaffer been working with the PFF since 2022.

Gutierrez concludes, "We’re incredibly excited to host this tournament. We have seen the country explode in the last decade or so in terms of sports hosting as well as world-class events. We are continuing the work started by previous PFF administrations and hope to make our countrymen, our Asean neighbors, as well as sports fans proud by not only our hosting – of which Filipinos are known for – but also for our national team’s performance."

He also requests, "We invite all football fans, players, coaches, stakeholders to watch this exciting event. Rest assured that we have a top-team working behind the scenes to ensure the success of this Asean Women’s Futsal Championships."