Filipinas national team hosts local training camp for emerging talents

The Philippine Women’s National Football Team (PWNT) recently concluded a week-long training camp at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, aimed at identifying and developing local football talents.

The camp, held from August 17 to 23, saw over 30 local players participating, with established national team members like Hali Long, Inna Palacios, Sam and Anicka Castañeda, Quinley Quezada, and Jessika Cowart also making appearances.

National Teams Director Freddy Gonzalez emphasized the importance of such local camps, especially given the challenges in synchronizing international schedules with regional tournaments like the SEA Games and AFF Championships.

“It’s very significant because what happens is similar with the men’s [team]. It’s like some windows [such as] SEA Games [or the] AFF Championships, they don’t fall on FIFA windows,” Gonzalez stated, highlighting the need for continuous training and assessment of local talent.

The camp was initiated by Filipinas head coach Mark Tocaso, who recognized the necessity of maintaining a robust pool of local-based players.

“For us, [the] significance, it’s great because then it prepares them for what we will be when they go abroad and play. It’s a big deal for them, and it gives the local-based players a chance to see what kind of training and what needs to be involved,” Gonzalez said.

To further enhance the team’s performance, Gonzalez revealed that the strength and conditioning coach for the men’s national team would also oversee the women’s training.

The move aims to address the identified gap in strength and conditioning, despite the team being at par in skill and technical training.

“You can see that the quality is there. We just need to keep building that up,” he said, affirming the team’s commitment to elevating local talents to the international level.

The camp concluded with an open media day, drawing attention from various media outlets and supporters.

The highlight of the event was an intra-squad match, where the red team secured a 3-0 victory, with goals from Regine Rebosura and Emma Balacua.

Adding to the occasion, the Filipinas unveiled a special Adidas commemorative jersey, celebrating the one-year anniversary of their historic win against co-host New Zealand in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where they claimed a 1-0 victory.