Stars Got Game!

It was an action-packed weekend as I attended Castrol’s final leg of their celebration in commemoration of the 2010 World Cup Finals which will be happening in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was a star-studded string of events as celebrities and sports stars alike trooped out to Castrol’s various Soccer Fiestas and root on the competitors.

For the past few weeks, Castrol has been travelling to various SM Malls encouraging soccer/football fanatics to try their hand at various skills challenges to compete for an all-expense paid trip to watch the 2010 World Cup finals match. The challenges involved basic soccer skills such as dribbling, juggling, shooting, passing and shuttle running.

Switcharoo! Wesley Gonzales tries his best at the
Castrol Soccer Fiesta

SM North’s “The Block” was the venue for the competition awarding, and it was filled to the brim with spectators. There was a quick showbiz recap thanking the celebs that celebrities that had participated in the Soccer Fiesta 2010. Some personalities that showed their support for the sport were model/actress Daiana Meneses, sportscaster Lia Cruz, newsman TJ Manotoc, basketball star Wesley Gonzales, celebrity couple Chynna Ortaleza & Railey Valeroso, VJ/actress Denise Laurel, Magic 89.9’s Boys Night Out DJs, and more. Showing off his fancy moves and amazing soccer skills, international football freestyler star Philip Warren Gertsson was also at hand to add some high-energy excitement to the Soccer Fiesta program!

Another sport on the rise

After the celebrity kick-off for the University Dodgeball Games, a joint project between the PDBA and Nestle Ice Cream that seeks to get more Filipino interested in the sport, more and more Filipinos have tried their hand at the game! Over the course of the University Dodgeball Games, the PDBA will be visiting some of the top schools in the country to conduct dodgeball trainer certification programs for PE teachers, free Dodgeball clinics for students, as well as actual competitive matches.

Sweets for the Sweet: Daiana Meneses & Lia Cruz
cool off with some Nestle Pops Ice Cream

The efforts of the PDBA are starting to pay off big. This year, dodgeball is set to premiere as an official event in the Women's National Collegiate Athletic Association (WNCAA) calendar.

“We’ve been pushing for dodgeball to be included in the PE cuurricula of more schools for some time now,” says Camara. “Dodgeball is a great school sport because you don’t need any special training or expensive equipment to play, and games can be as light or competitive as you want it to be. I’m very happy with all that Nestlé has been doing to help bring this great sport to the rest of the country.”