Football Philippines

The Philippine football team preparing for the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia got a big boost Tuesday after Suzuki Philippines expressed its willingness to support the team.

With the success of the Azkals, the PH U-23 squad is determined to win its first-ever medal in the Men’s football competition slated in Jakarta and Palembang.

With three months to go before the Games, Suzuki president Satoshi Uchida said they will coordinate with the Philippine Football Federation for a possible sponsorship deal with the Under-23 squad lacking the resources its senior counterpart – the Azkals – enjoy in abundance.

“We’re considering every ways to help the team. We will talk to the PFF to discuss possible sponsorships for the team,” said Uchida, 52, in Tuesday’s press launching of the Hometown Heroes featuring five Azkals members.

Azkals co-team captain Chieffy Caligdong, Ian Araneta, Yannick Tuason, Roel Gener and Paolo Pascual were tapped to be the endorsers for the Suzuki motorcycles in a campaign that hopes to highlight the city roots of the homegrown players.

Uchida declined to divulge financial help the company is willing to extend to the SEAG team, but assured they are willing to back the team all the way to the SEA Games.

Suzuki is no longer stranger in helping football.

A couple of months ago, it spent more than P3 million for the staging of the 1st PFF Under-23 national championship, a tournament from which the current pool for the SEAG team was picked.

PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta expressed elation on the Suzuki’s pledge.

“We’re very happy about it,” Araneta said in a separate interview. “It shows that the company has faith in football.”

Meanwhile, Araneta said the Azkals are bothered by the controversial rape allegation on four members of the team, but assured that the squad remains focused on their preparation for their second round meeting with Kuwait in the World Cup qualifiers.

“They are affected but not demoralized,” Araneta said.

Source: By FRANCIS SANTIAGO (Manila Bulletin)

German coach Michael Weiss is urging the Philippine Football Federation to also focus its attention to the needs of the football team being formed for the 26th Southeast Asian Games slated in Indonesia.

The squad started its training two weeks ago at the Philsports Arena with Azkals midfielder Simon Greatwich leading some 20 aspirants who showed up.

But Weiss, who also handles the Philippine Azklas, rues the fact that the PFF failed to provide the players – some of them coming from the provinces – their basic needs to sustain their training.

“I hope the football enthusiasm will keep growing and corporate sponsors will keep stepping in so that we can finance all this because right now it’s still difficult,” Weiss, 46, said after steering the Azkals to a 4-0 victory against Sri Lanka in the first round of the World Cup qualifiers last Sunday.

“For example our U-23 team, they don’t have training place, they don’t have accommodation, food, whatever. (It’s) very pitiful.”

The team faces a Herculean task of winning the country’s first ever medal in the men’s football of the biennial event and Weiss said football officials should also pour in the same support to the team they provide with the Azkals.

“We also have many, many super talents there (Under-23 team) and still the focus is mostly on Azkals. So I wish that we can go now on the younger stage and field the young ones because these are the future,” Weiss said.

Reached for comment, PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said they are now addressing their needs.

“Some players are billeted there (Philsports Arena) and their quarters need some blankets and pillows and other stuffs. We are now coordinating with the Philippine Sports Commission to address the problems,” said Araneta, which said they intend to spend P8 million for the entire SEA Games preparation.

The biennial meet begins from Nov. 11 to 25 in Palembang and the capital city of Jakarta and the PFF has actually given the Under-23 team a shot in the arm following the appointment of veteran German coach Erich Rutemoller as its advisor.

Source: By FRANCIS SANTIAGO (Manila Bulletin)