Where will excellent football players from the UAAP and the NCAA go after college? They will look for a job and they will soon retire from playing the sport that they love. That is the most tragic thing that could happen to a great football player. This is part of the problem that the Philippine Football Federation is trying to address.
I am from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and I can say that we have one of the best, if not the best football program in the country today. Our men's and women's Tiger booters have won atleast 1 championship in the UAAP in the last 2 years. Our players have great dedication to the sport. Even if its already raining and the football field is wet they still play the sport and they train really really hard. The Ateneo Blue Eagles and the UP fighting Maroons men's football teams have also shown remarkable improvement. Ateneo won the championship 2 years ago and last year UP got the crown. These three top football schools have great football programs. Their program would be more useful and meaningful if their players could get to play in a professional league after college. That is the purpose of the so called Goal Pilipinas Football League which will be born later this year or next year.
The great sports aficianado, Manny V. Pangilinan of Smart Communications has donated 80 million pesos for the football program development of the Philippine Azkals. It marks the start of a very promising football life here in the Philippines. Part of the program is the Goal Pilipinas Football League which will help mold the players' potential and it will systematized the football sports in the Philippines. This will a 10 year football program. Hopefully 10 years is enough to make our country a football standing giant because we are already a giant but we are in a deep sleep. Varsity players of football all over the country will get to play professionally and they will earn money for a living. Develop the players and you will develop the football program of the country through building a league that will help football players.
The Philippine Azkals showed to the whole world that we can compete in the world of football. They beat the defending Asian Football Federation Suzuki Cup champions Vietnam. That is a strong statement. What more if we can have a great local league wherein we can develop more players to play for out national football team. That will be great.
Mr. Mariano Araneta and his partner Mr. Gregorio of the Philippine Football Federation is happy about the help that Mr. Pangilinan handed to them. They say that it is a long term process but they will make good use of the money through proper planning and good strategy.
Some of the companies that might join and help in putting up the football league here in the Philippines are Maynilad, Signal TV-5 and Meralco.
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