Kick for Life: A shining football success story

CEBU, Philippines – None of them have been football varsity before. In fact, most of them only learned about the sport when they signed up as volunteer players for the Kick for Life. Yet, they've got endurance, in-born talent and most of all, the heart that pushed the Cebu Karabaws to successfully break the Guinness record for the world's longest football marathon while creating awareness on congenital heart defects at the same time. Amazingly, they attained that monumental feat amidst the threat posed by super typhoon Ruby.

Yes, another Guinness record for Cebu is in the offing. As of 3 p.m. last Friday, they already eclipsed by one hour the 72-hour mark for the longest football match played in the world currently held by United Kingdom. Cebu will shatter that record decisively as at 7 p.m. yesterday, they hit their target of 101 hours of non-stop football action spread over five days.

The organizers led by Alex Escala, a blue-baby himself, and Jaq Siwala, are painstakingly collating all needed supporting documents and video clips of the entire event so they can submit it to the GWR headquarters in London for validation of their claim.

The football marathon involved less than 60 players trimmed down to the final 36 for the five-day action. Organizers even had to pay an additional cost to Guinness when one of those who made it to the final cut had to be rushed to the hospital a day before the attempt started.

"Once the line-up is made and submitted, we had to pay another amount to any changes made and we did," said Alex Escala, the brainchild of the event.

It was somewhat a lonely battle at the start as no hardcore players came to volunteer for this noble endeavor. But Lexmark and some employees of different BPOs here joined forces to carry on with the gargantuan task at hand.

"Most of them are really amateurs or no knowledge about the sport itself. But surprisingly, look at them, they endured. They were able to sustain the game. They pass, dribble and shoot especially the Red team, they really are a bunch of good players," said coach Robert "Kidd" Nicart, who handled most of the players' training from the start not only for the Green squad but for the entire players' pool.

The players involved were collectively called as the Cebu Karabaws as the Philippine Azkals is for the national football team.

"I really had no idea what football is before, but I signed up as volunteer just for the training. And when I learned of its purpose, which is for kids with CHD (congenital heart defect), I pushed myself further, sacrificing my social life and day-offs for training. But it's all worth it. I'm so happy to be part of this," said Julie Sanchez, a firmware engineer at Lexmark.

Another player, Michael Pacana, is parent of a baby with CHD. They also benefited from another football event for the operation of his baby Gabrielle and to show gratitude, he also came to join.  

Interestingly, they were also celebrating their wedding anniversary when the world record was unofficially broken.

Even the multi-titled ultramarathoner, Lapu-Lapu Tourist Police Brian Guillen, who had no background in football, came to join the event without hesitation upon learning about the reason for this GWR attempt.

"It's a different high when you win an ultra-marathon," said Guillen. "But this one also gives you a different satisfaction, surviving a sport you don't know before and contribute for the awareness at the same time help raise funds for kids with CHD. I am just thankful my superiors allowed me to train for this one and allow me to take a leave of absence for five days."

Four months of sacrificing time for socialization and other stuff paid off well for the players, not to mention that most of them are working on BPOs and works in graveyard shifts.

The attempt was first scheduled last November, but had to be moved to December 2 -6 to give them more time to prepare the required FIFA field standard since their first identified venue,  D' Family Park could not meet the standards.

The organizers tried to book the most accessible public football venue, the Cebu City Sports Center, but they could not afford to pay the rental for the duration of the event that they eventually decided to use the delapidated San Roque field in Subangdaku, Mandaue.  It is one of the oldest football pitches in Cebu that the former players could not be happier knowing that it is the one being used for this historic undertaking.

With the support of the Cebu Football Association and Dakay Construction, the field became playable again, just in time for the re-scheduled attempt.

Then came the threat of a super typhoon Hagupit locally known as Ruby.

But Siwala and the rest could not be swayed and pushed the event as scheduled relying on Project Noah's early predictions that it will not make a landfall here.

The first day of the attempt was the most challenging one, as rains started to pour, lasting for least four hours from night to dawn.

Luckily, no one got sick except for Katherine Toylo of Team Green who had an allergy attack. Despite that, Kat kept her spirits up and fought to continue playing for her baby brother, who also died a few hours after being born being a blue baby.

"I was only Grade 4 when my supposed first brother died. We haven't heard about this CHD before and it was only after attending the orientation for this event that I learned more about the CHD. I wanted to help create awareness so even if I don't know how to play football before, I dared and joined.I got allergy maybe from the food I ate, but I'm keeping my spirits up to finish this event," said Toylo.

Day after day, they perserved, sometimes playing 11-a-side or 9-a-side with the FIFA ruling on the said attempt at least a 7-a-side.

Each player has a scheduled time of play so they can also take the much needed rest for at least three hours of accumulated sleep, eat and bath as well as take a massage and treatment on blisters and other minor injuries.

The team also got lucky to have volunteers who cook their meals.

At least 15 CFA-accredited referees are also worth mentioning for. They volunteered to officiate, while some CFA officials and coaches came to lend moral support or act as match commissioner on shifting.

The referees themselves believed in the cause and showed to the rest that they are not only after money but for the development of football at the same time help send the message accross.

On Friday, the time when it was predicted that the typhoon would make a landfall, everyone involved  braced themselves for the worse. The players were allowed to use their mobile phones to check on updates. Alternate venue for shelter were identified in case their tents could no longer protect them from the heavy downpour.

Prayers and perseverance did work well for them as the weather was fine, even making players go faster than usual until they surpassed the 72-hour world record and broke it by 3 p.m.

Everyone on the side were in jovial mood, while those playing kept on going, not wanting to stop and continue to play until they reach the maximum target of 101 hours. Actually, the organizers contemplated on cutting short their GWR attempt, but decided to go on until the field is still playable.

For Let It Echo, a non-profit organization dedicated to help sick kids with congenital heart defects, more than the successful attempt and GWR record, they have already achieved their main purpose, that is to drum up awareness on CHD.

"Right after breaking the record, we all we're celebrating on the side. It's a lesser pressure after and it's just a matter of waiting on how far can the players push  themselves. The most important thing is that we really are able to create more awareness on CHD," said Hannah Amora of Let It Echo.

Surpassing the world record last Friday afternoon gave the organizers a sigh of relief. Fullfilling the 101 hours is just a bonus and the Guinness record, if made official, an icing to the cake. (FREEMAN)