
The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) lauded the historic performance of the national women’s football team which booked a first-ever berth in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.
POC president Bambol Tolentino congratulated the team for making world football history, saying that the feat just showed how Filipino athletes have been leveling up on the international stage.
“We won our first-ever Olympic gold medal in Tokyo last July—adding two silvers and one bronze—and then this, in football,” Tolentino said.
“We are putting the country prominently on the world sporting map.”
The PH team survived Chinese Taipei in a penalty shootout, 4-3, at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, India to also advance to the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Asia Cup for the first time.
Tolentino also congratulated the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) headed by president Nonong Araneta and secretary general Atty. Edwin Gastanes for having accomplished what looked like an “impossible dream.”
Araneta couldn’t be prouder of the female booters.
“It's a great achievement for our women's national football team,” Araneta said. “All their sacrifices have paid off. They are proud to represent the Philippines. Para sa bayan!”
Gastanes, Tolentino’s secretary general at the POC, described the feat as a “historic milestone.”
“Another historic milestone for Philippine sports. Filipina booters showed strength, resilience and hard determination to win for the country and the sporting youth of the land in the AFC Women Asian Cup in India,” Gastanes said.