PH Azkals scrap plans to hold 10-day training in Cebu

Cebu Daily News

THE Philippine Azkals will no longer be having a 10-day training camp here in Cebu City in preparation for the 2nd leg of the AFC Challenge Cup 2012 Qualifiers in March in Mongolia, according to Richard Montayre, president of the Cebu Football Association (CFA).

This was confirmed by Azkals team manager Dan Palami, who met with Montayre yesterday in Bacolod.

“We were informed that the temperature in Mongolia right now is -17 degrees Celsius so we need a training camp that is in high altitude and would simulate that kind of climate,” Palami said.

The team strongly considered holding a 10-day training camp here in preparation for their match in Mongolia and plans would have been finalized once Palami gets to inspect the pitch and accommodation for the national football team.

Palami would have done the inspection this weekend when he comes to Cebu for the first Board of Governors meeting of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) for the year and since Mariano “Nono” Araneta took over the reins of the country's football governing body.

Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss had decided that the team must acclimatized to the Mongolian climate and therefore must train in a place that would have the closes approximate climate as that of Mongolia.

Instead, the Azkals will spend about 10 days in Baguio.

Cebuano fans of the Azkals need not despair as the team would still be visiting Cebu after their stint in Mongolia.

Palami said he committed to Montayre that the Azkals would have its training camp here in preparation for the 2014 World Cup qualifier in June. /CORRESPONDENT

Cebu Daily News