Football
AKTV to air 2012 Suzuki Cup
InterAksyon.com/Eric Apolonio
Filipino sports fans have a chance to catch the Philippine national men’s football team’s biggest tournament of the year on free TV, as AKTV has been awarded the broadcast rights for the 2012 ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup.
The Azkals rose to the national consciousness after a surprising semifinal run in the 2010 edition of the tournament. Fielding a stronger and more experienced team this time, the nationals are expected to duplicate or even surpass their historic feat.
But the task won’t be easy for the Azkals, as defending champions Malaysia, 2008 titlists Vietnam, and traditional football powerhouses Indonesia and Thailand are also considered as contenders for the crown.
This year’s Suzuki Cup will be co-hosted by Malaysia and Thailand from Nov. 24 to Dec. 1 for the group stages.
From then on, a home-and-away format will be adopted for the semifinals from Dec. 8 to Dec. 13 and the finals from Dec. 19 to Dec.22.
One of the most anticipated events in Southeast Asia, the Suzuki Cup reached almost 192 million TV viewers and 800,000 live spectators in 2010.
