Seagames News Football pleads for inclusion to SEAG Posted by Online on Jul 4th, 2013 // No Comment Whatever the costs and whatever it takes, football officials on Tuesday pleaded for the inclusion of their athletes in the 27th Myanmar Southeast Asian Games, and vowed that they would make their country proud given the chance to see action in the event. “The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) will do whatever it takes to send our teams to Myanmar. If it is P12 million then let it be 12 million,” said national teams committee chairman Dan Palami during the PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate. “This is why the PFF, with the help of private sector, is willing to spend as much because we believe that our teams have strong chances of winning gold medals,” noted Palami in the session where he was joined by national women’s team coach Ernie Nierras and PFF media relations chief Ebong Joson. While not making any formal announcements, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) have strongly hinted of scrapping football from the national team contingent, considering the cost of sending nearly 80 athletes and officials for the sport in the SEA Games set Dec. 11-22. The PFF wants to field the national Under-23 squad in the men’s competition, national women’s squad, popularly known as the Malditas, and the men’s futsal team to the regional meet. Palami pointed out the PFF had already addressed the funding concerns of the soccer delegation, a fact which Joson assured in the program sponsored by Shakey’s and the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp. “The expenses (of the squads) will be shouldered by the PFF,” said Joson, who also noted the PFF had not yet any formal notification from the POC-PSC SEA Games Task Force about the exclusion of football. “Until we are notified, we are going under the assumption that we are part of the SEA Games.” “I don’t think we’re asking that much. We are already doing our part,” Nierras stressed. “All we need right now is to maximize our resources by being able to represent our country proudly (in the SEA Games).” Palami warned that not sending football to Myanmar would be sending the wrong signals to private sponsors. “If the private sector believes in our sport and our sports officials don’t believe in sending our athletes anyway, then we are sending the wrong signals,” said the sportsman-businessman, who earlier bankrolled the build-up of the Azkals four years ago that led to their success in the AFF Suzuki Cup. He underscored the National Under-23 squad was virtually a new side “with several of them having played with the Azkals, so we should not judge them based on the track record of previous squads.” Palami pointed out if the country wanted to protest the way the Burmese hosts have dropped certain sports, “kung gusto nating bumawi talaga, then send a strong football team that can win the gold. Doon tayo bumawi.” Nierras echoed Palami’s sentiments, saying: “I think a good way to protest is to go there and kick butt. What is the greater impact, not going or winning the gold? If we don’t go, how will we know?” Both said leaving the Filipino footballers out of the SEA Games would stymie the development of soccer in the country. “Sayang naman that football is now the fastest-rising sport in the Philippines. Mapuputol yung momentum, just because ayaw nating magpadala ng team sa SEA Games,” Palami said.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 07:55:08 +0000
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