Two Negrense players, who are former members of the national football team expressed sadness over the death of their ex-teammate Rudy Del Rosario.
“We are saddened,” said Norman Fegidero, now University of St. La Salle football coach, and John Carmona, Provincial Sports Office consultant.
Fegidero, who scored the lone goal in the Philippines’ historic win against Malaysia in the 1991 Southeast Asian Games in Manila, recalled that Del Rosario was his co-striker in the national team.
“He was known for his speed and he was gutsy and fearless, especially at the goalmouth,” recalled Carmona, who was a member of the national training pool for the 1991 SEAG and eventually became a national team member.
Del Rosario, 51, who skippered the national team in the 1995 SEAG in Thailand, died on Friday (Nov. 20) in Manila.
Both Negrense players recalled in separate interviews, that Del Rosario was friendly person.
“He was very accommodating, he made efforts to make us, who came from the provinces, feel we belong to the team, he always reached out to us,” Carmona further recalled.
He was a good guy, we always felt comfortable when he was around, remembered Fegidero, who played with Del Rosario in four SEAG editions until 1997.
He was fun to be with as he was a happy-go-lucky guy, Fegidero added.
Del Rosario was a co-founder of the now Iloilo-based Kaya FC. -AVDelCarmen
