THE Philippine Football Federation may have to send the national women’s team to other international meets this year.
This is because organizers of the 26th Southeast Asian Games have decided to scrap women’s football from the roster of sports for the biennial meet.
Informed of this development, PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said he will meet with women’s committee chairman Rafael Vilela of Davao to review the status of the women’s team once he gets back from a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Football Federation in Kuala Lumpur this weekend.
“Malalaman natin ang lahat sa meeting ng AFF ngayong weekend sa Kuala Lumpur,” said Araneta.
According to online articles, the Indonesian SEA Games Organizing Committee has scrapped women’s football because organizers are finding it difficult to find a standard-sized football ground.
The INASOC said they need at least two Asian Football Confederation-standard grounds, and training facilities as well.
INASOC’s decision will mostly affect Vietnam, the reigning women’s football champion in the SEAG, which is lobbying for the inclusion of the event.
Meanwhile, the PFF will present its plans and programs to the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation, which is thinking of giving financial assistance to the federation.
Araneta has already met with Pagcor Chairman and CEO Cristino Naguiat, who said Pagcor is ready to give the PFF a “substantial” amount once they have reviewed the federation’s plans and programs.
“We will take it up with the board. This will be separate from what we give to the PSC,” said Naguiat, who added that the financial package will have to be coursed through a non-government organization. Peter Atencio
Manila Standard Today
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So wall climbing, bridge, and paragliding are in SEA Games. Malaysia and Vietnam are accusing Indonesia of manipulating the sports selected to help them earn medals and excluding sports, like women's football, where they are weak. Vietnam says it will try to change the Indos minds but don't have much hope. Let's face it, it is ridiculous to say that a country with 2 professional leagues cannot find fields for women's football. They just don't want to find the fields because they know their team cannot compete.
ReplyDeleteOf course there is no guarantee that the POC would allow the WNT to go anyway. They did not go to Laos after all and the MNT U23 did not go to Thailand or Laos.Perhaps it is just as well that we know now that the WNT should be looking at the Olympics, AFF cup, and AFC Cup, or any other competition they can find. The SEA Games are a cheap tournament for the PFF because the POC pays most of the bills. The bad news is that the PFF has no control over whether or not the WNT or Men's U23 team is allowed to go by the POC. The PFF now has to decide whether they will pay the bills for the WNT to play and not rely on POC money. It would have been worse to plan all year for the SEA Games and not enter any other tournaments only to have the POC pull the plug because the WNT haven't beaten anyone since the AFC Cup match in Hong Kong in 2007. You cannot have a team that is inactive for years and demand that the POC to foot the bill for a tournament. The Germans are hosting the women's world cup this year. Maybe the time is right to ask that they assist in women's football as well.
They beat Singapore in 2008.
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