PFF Suzuki Cup U-23 stars to form core of SEAG team

Celest R. Flores


MANILA---National team manager Dan Palami is optimistic that the ongoing PFF Suzuki Cup Under-23 national championship will discover untapped talents for the Southeast Asian Games.

“The lack of available talent locally is one of the problems we’re trying to address,” said Palami.

With the sport’s popularity reaching an all-time high in the wake of the performance of the national squad known as the Azkals, the support and interest for football—even on the grassroots level—also leapfrogged.

“If they know something is happening, they will get interested in the game,” added Palami during the Southern Luzon clusters kickoff at UP-Los Baños recently.

The composition of the SEA Games’ under-23 squad will be selected from the winners of the PFF Suzuki Cup, but PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said that a number of foreign-based Filipinos have expressed interest in joining the squad.

“But we have to look at the local players, then the foreigners later on, to make a good selection for our U-23 team,” said Araneta.

For Azkals head coach Hans Michael Weiss, quality is top priority in the search for a player.

“Anyone who can prove himself has a chance to try out,” said Weiss.


Inquirer.net