PFF to meet JFA amidst wellspring of support

This appears in the Friday February 4, 2010 edition of the Business Mirror.

PFF to meet JFA amidst wellspring of support

by rick olivares

The pace of life in the Philippine Football Federation nowadays resembles the frenetic pace of the beautiful game. There’s a method to the madness and craziness of these days. But to PFF President Mariano “Nonong” Araneta, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

It is always better to be busy than not at all,” he smiled behind his desk at the PFF office.

This Saturday, Araneta along with the PFF’s General Secretary Chito Manuel, and Grassroots Development head Richard Montayre of Cebu will meet with Joel Lopa of Tao Chemicals and Tsuyoshi Kitazawa of the Japan Football Federation to discuss the JFA’s participation in the grassroots development of the Philippines.

In Kitazawa’s 14-year career, he scored 55 goals while playing for Honda, Yomiuri, Verdy Kawasaki, and Tokyo Verdy 1969. He also notched 58 international caps while scoring thrice. The JFA pledged US $20,000 to help organize the PFF’s grassroots program.

“We saw how Japan recently won in the Asian Cup,” said Manuel. “Malayo na rin ang narating nila sa international competitions. In a recently friendly match with Japan’s Under-16 team and the Philippines, their players ran rings around us. Iba yung skill level. So they are doing something right with their football program and we are only glad for their assistance.”

The Land of the Rising Sun isn’t the only country helping out. Araneta also confirmed that Bahrain has offered the use of its facilities for football camps for the national team use.

Aside from the upcoming February 9 Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup match with Mongolia in Panaad, Bacolod, and the PFF leadership are looking to get started on that field that will be put up Tambo, Paranaque on 4.5-hectare area that will be leased for 25 years to the PFF by Mike Velarde of the El Shaddai Movement. “It is a very generous offer considering it is rent free,” beamed Araneta.

The field, which is an initiative of the FIFA Goal Project that already provided the PFF House of Football in Oranbo, Pasig City, also provides for the construction of a technical facility that is on par with international football standards. The field will make use of artificial turf while the grounds will house an office space as well as a dormitory for players.

“A facility like that will be of big help for our national teams. We are also looking to expand the Panaad pitch with the help of the Philippine Sports Commission,” revealed Araneta on the subject of the proposed football stadium. “Of course we are also at the Manila facilities such as the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium which can be fully renovated for international standards. There’s a lot of work and there are costs. Fortunately for us, it is a good time for football as there is money pouring in. Before we had all these projects but not enough money to implement them. Now, we have a chance to significantly improve the quality of our game and international standing in FIFA as well as the region.”

The PFF President also disclosed the Smart Communications-sponsored National Club Championship where teams from all over the country will battle it out for the eight slots (two each from Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao-National Capital Region) in tournament finals. “This should begin after the college football season and the finals will also be televised on ABC 5,” added Araneta who himself was a former national player. “There will also be the Under 16, Under-19, and Under-23 competitions. The latter is important because we will be forming a team to compete in the Southeast Asian Games later this year in Indonesia.”