Funding Azkals a yeoman’s job

By Manolo R. Iñigo - Philippine Daily Inquirer

Football, thanks to the Azkals, is fast becoming the country’s obsession, replacing basketball as the Filipinos’ favorite sport.
But in order to preserve football’s emergence as the game best suited for the Filipinos and, at the same time, sustain the newfound popularity of the Azkals, the sport needs the continuous support of both the government and the private sector.
It’s truly a yeoman’s job in seeing the program through.
“TV, print and radio must continue to support football so that the interest will always be there,” said former soccer great Vic Sison, the goalie of the Philippine team that beat powerhouse Japan, 1-0, in Tokyo during the 1954 Asian Games.
On the other hand, the incumbent president of the Philippine Football Federation Mariano “Nonong” Araneta expressed a rosy future for the sport. He said that his group is talking with the Philippine Sports Commission to see how the PFF can oversee the maintenance of the Rizal Memorial pitch.
The 56-year-old Araneta has estimated the cost of maintenance could reach P900,000 a year.
But the PSC’s allocation from Congress is not enough to spur a nationwide sports development program, including the promotion of football, which entails an enormous budget needed for the upkeep of foreign-raised booters and a coach from Germany, Hans Michael Weiss.
As a result of this dilemma, the PFF is now depending on the private sector for the crucial backup support.
Renowned sports patron Manuel V. Pangilinan, benefactor of the Smart Gilas national basketball team, leads the cash-rich private individuals and firms who are the chief backers of the football team.
In time, the Philippines will rise again and would no longer be the “Sick Man of Asia” in football.
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In the old days, before we became a consumer-oriented community society, children created their own tools, especially for sports. Footballs or soccer balls were made from old rags, with their cover filled with hair gathered from the barber or hairdressers shop. Because these balls totally lacked bounce, naturally ground football was all that was possible.
In poor African and Asian countries, football shoes were out of the question. As these were not available, soccer players wrapped their feet with rags to prevent injuries.
On the other hand, players from highly developed countries are luckier because they can afford to buy such luxuries like football shoes, playing uniforms and appropriate equipment.
It is also worth mentioning here, that the price of one pair of branded football shoes made in the United States or Europe is more than the monthly salary of a worker in Africa or the other least developed countries.