DON’T be too surprised to find traffic a little bit heavier than usual around the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex on Thursday as two major events are slated to be held in the area.
Thursday’s doubleheader in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium which will start at 5 p.m. will be held side-by-side with football’s ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup at the Rizal Memorial Stadium where the Philippine national team will begin play against Myanmar at 6:30 p.m.
READ PMNT out to gain place among Southeast Asia's best under Capellas
For the uninitiated, the Mitsubishi Electric Cup is Southeast Asia’s biggest football tournament, and fans not only from the Philippines but also in Myanmar are expected to come to watch the matches.
The PBA doubleheader on Thursday will feature the potential debut of Justine Baltazar for Converge as it faces NorthPort, while Meralco will take on Blackwater.
This will actually happen again on Wednesday, December 18 as the two events will also coincide with each other, with more fans expected to come out.
In the PBA at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium during that date, Rain or Shine will go up against Magnolia at 5 p.m., with crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra battling Terrafirma at 7:30 p.m.
The Philippines, meanwhile, will go up against Vietnam in the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup at 9 p.m. where fans from Vietnam, whose fans are some of the most passionate in the Southeast Asian region, also expected to make the trip and come out to support their team.
The Philippine Football Federation has been targeting 10,000 fans in the home matches through several initiatives such as fan zones, a place where spectators can eat and play games.
It won’t be a bad idea for basketball fans to also come and watch the football matches at the Rizal complex with the Philippine team in need of support.
“As a coach, my responsibility is to deliver a performance in front of the fans that we perform and we entertain them,” said Philippines head coach Albert Capellas. “It’s fun to watch the games and it’s fun to come here to enjoy the game. That is what we can do.
“If the supporters help us to accelerate this process, we know we will have more supporters from the beginning, it's easier for us. But again it’s our responsibility as a team. We have to play well and then the supporters will come,” said Capellas.
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