THE Philippines is sending three teams to the Touch World Cup 2024 slated from July 15 to 21 at the University of Nottingham in England.
Though touch football has been in the country for more than 20 years, the sport has only become competitive in the past several years.
The country has sent teams to two previous Worlds with the mixed open team finishing 9th and women’s open team 12th in the 2015 edition in Coffs Harbour, Australia, and the men’s open squad placing sixth and the women’s open 15th in the 2019 Putrajaya, Malaysia event.
Touch Association Pilipinas chairman Colin Steley said they are aiming at top-five finishes in the men’s women’s and mixed divisions this time.
“The World Cup is the highest level of competition for the sport and everybody playing the sport is aiming to play in the event which is held every four years,” Carl Majabague said in yesterday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
“This is very similar to rugby minus the tackle. Touch football is played by six players a side and a game lasts for 40 minutes, 20 minutes per half,” added Majabague, the only remnant of the 2019 team in the public sports program backed by San Miguel Corp., Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Milo, Smart/PLDT, and ArenaPlus, the 24/7 sports app in the country.
Australia and New Zealand, where the sport began, are among the top countries in the sport. The Philippines is considered the second strongest team in Southeast Asia, second to Singapore.
With high hopes for the Worlds, TAP is looking to boost the popularity of the sport in the country and eventually become a member of the Philippine Olympic Committee.
