LOADS OF PROMISES FROM THE PRESIDENT (right) FOR THE GRASSROOTS WHILE HIS OPPONENT RICKY YANSON ORGANISES THE LUZON CUP
MY friend and now SunStar Cebu sports editor Mike Limpag is a staunch Nonong Araneta supporter since the former national team player was put in office by the PFF Congress replacing the then incompetent Mari Martinez nine years ago.
I was also a supporter of Nonong and I was even among the many who called for the ouster of Martinez. Nonong has done wonders in running the PFF at the start but slowly he has lost steam and has forgotten the countryside where the grassroots are all based.
In the past few months that Ricky Yanson Jr. has announced his intention to run for the PFF president under the slogan “Football Para sa Lahat” (Football For All) , Nonong has been frantic in trying to cover up his misgivings by promising the heavens to the Filipino football community. He is now feeling the heat.
Ricky Yanson Jr. announced his candidacy in Sept. 21 in front of FA presidents in Davao City with the blessing of Nonong Araneta and making the PFF president as his Vice President.
Two weeks after on Oct. 4, Nonong changed his mind and with two of the powerful persons in Philippine football by his side, Dan Palami and Leo Rey Yanson, announced his re-election in Davao City.
The announcement of Nonong was a stab at the back of Ricky. However, the Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) took the stabbing in stride and pushed for his grassroots campaign by organising and financing the Mindanao Cup in Davao City.
This week, Ricky Yanson Jr. launched the Luzon Cup with the backing of Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Butch Ramirez. The Luzon Cup will kickoff on Nov. 22-24 at the Jose V. Yap Sports and Recreational Park in San Jose, Tarlac.
Moved by the passion of Yanson, Ramirez announced during the launching, that the PSC will sponsor the National U13 championship in Manila next year. The move by Ramirez was welcomed by the Philippine football community as the PSC will play host to the champions of the Luzon Cup, Mindanao Cup and the NOFA Cup.
Not to be outdone, Nonong also announced and promised that the Philippine Football League (PFL) will have a new sponsor, Qatar, starting next year for three years. He even further promised that the PFF will have the U17 National championship next year. The Girls U14 and U16 National championships will also be organised also next year.
The PFF also announced the relaunching of the long time dead Kasibulan Grassroots project this month until December. All these announcements and promises within the span of less than two months on the heels of the PFF election on Nov. 28. These however remain as promises.
Only Araneta has announced that Qatar Airways is sponsoring the PFL next year. Did anyone hear any announcement from the Qatar Airlines officials?
Why these promises to lift the grassroots program of the country in the span of few weeks when his opponent Ricky Yanson is busy organising his own grassroots program all over the country? Why did he not do this the past nine years?
The football community in Mindanao has remembered few grassroots program the current PFF administration has delivered to the Land of Promise. The FA presidents are tired of promises.
Remember Nonong Araneta promised Ricky Yanson Jr. he will be his Vice President and then all of the sudden changed his mind. Now, who will believe in his promises.
By the way, me and my friend from Sunstar Cebu Mike Limpag are the last two active football columnists in the country today. The others have stopped commenting on Philippine Football but we continue to serve the Filipino football readers. We have differences in opinions but we remain friends.
However, I just want to request one thing from Mike. Please give space also to the press releases of Ricky Yanson Jr. I can only see the press releases of Nonong Araneta in your sports pages. (l.biantan@gmail.com) (My opinion does not necessarily reflect the policy of this website. They are purely my own opinion.)
