By: Percy D. Della
MY LATE paternal grandma Genoveva, a devout Catholic, used to say that priests in the pulpit have almost the same pull on the multitude as movie stars.
Well, seeking the succor of men of the cloth probably crossed the minds of Philippine Football Federation officials. They have done everything they could to attract fans to fill the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan, to the rafters on Sept. 8.
That’s when the Azkals face their national team counterparts from Uzbekistan—a country 49 places above ours in the world rankings—in the ongoing qualifying matches for the Fifa World Cup in Russia in 2018.
Against the Uzbeks, the toughest team in Group H of the qualifiers, the Azkals are gunning for their third straight victory, after gritty wins over Bahrain, 2-1, and Yemen, 2-0.
The Azkals expect to draw strength from fans on home turf, a modern football and track stadium at Ciudad de Victoria, in their desire to become a force in Asian football and highlight their ultimate goal of someday making it to the World Cup.
But unless a marketing miracle happens, it looks like the Nationals will play the Uzbeks before a sparse home crowd again.
When the Azkals edged Bahrain on June 11, 7,000-plus fans showed up at the 25,000-capacity stadium.
With less than two weeks to go before the Azkals’ match with the Uzbeks, PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta, reported that gate receipts amounted to only P900,000 and change paid by 4,326 fans.
Azkals ticket prices of P500, P300 and P100 plus tax and applicable charges are about the same amounts you shell out for games in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
The pro basketball league is currently in between tournaments and yet it still corners the attention of fans and thus, dominates the local sports news cycle.
That’s because of the conflict, the drama, the surprises and the corporate circus behind the selection of the Philippine national team to the Fiba Asia Men’s Championship in Hunan, China, next month.
That the faithful follow the testy formation of the Gilas team like a soap opera is a textbook example of the widespread influence basketball has on local sports.
Essentially, the situation is a lousy one that has diverted fan interest from the other sports, notably football and the Azkals’ important match on Sept. 8.
With Gilas around, the brass band stops playing for the Azkals.
* * *
In any case, there are a few precious days left before game time.
For the sake of sports diversity, please follow the lead of celebrity supporters, including two senators of the realm, who are rallying fans to show up in full force for the Azkals.
Let’s put the steam back in the national team’s World Cup quest and help make that marketing miracle happen.
Tickets to the Azkals game are available at a TicketWorld outlet nearest you.
Read more: http://sports.inquirer.net/191231/after-gilas-put-the-azkals-back-to-the-forefront#ixzz3kBehat4Z
indeed.. the Gilas serye and the PBA Oligarch of Imperial Manila.
ReplyDeletewithout the help of Naturalized Blatche, fil fors like Clarkson, Alapag, Norwood and I.Q of a foreign coach like Baldwin na hindi natin makikita sa mga pinoy coaches ng kahit anung sports... we can't won a single game in fiba-asia.
both basketball and football same struggle lang ang kinahaharap both struggling without reinforcements from Pinoy-foreigners abroad or half pinoys...
yung size,built,agility and athleticism ma provide yan ng filipino-foreign athletes na kulang sa mga homegrown or so called "Purong Pinoy" na madalas sabihin ng mga xenophobic-racist and purists.
medyo nasusuka yung 2 solon like Angara & Cayetano sa problema ng basketball at sa PBA na same problem pa rin a decades ago like yung patuloy na club vs country.
after granting a naturalization for douhit & blatche by Senator Angara ganun pa rin ang problem ng Gilas Pilipinas.
maybe politics by two networks of abs cbn and TV5 for the sake network rating wars kaya they used their respective propaganda hype machine.
Hyping Gilas in sports 5 and Azkals by abs cbn sports since 2010 miracle in Hanoi
another issue is partisan and political affiliations by both networks...Abs cbn Lopez supports aquino-cojuangco clan Liberal and TV 5 dummy of Salim Mr.MVP is a crony of Erap supports UNA candidacy of VP Binay.
ginamit ng mga tv network ang sports para sa publicity, ratings and generate more incomes para ma promote lalagyan ng showbiz and of course Politics
because of hype machine they create seasonal and bandwagoner fans of Azkals and Gilas..
kailangan nilang i capitalize yung bandwagon Hype to sell exorbitant tickets sa AFC challenge Cup against Mongolia sa Panaad and 2011 WC qualifier vs Kuwait sa RMS.
lalo na yung overused na PUSO# hashtag ng mercenary former Gilas kots na xenophobic na si Reyes...
we badly need a national sports league for both sports...
ReplyDeleteenough na yung commercial set up ng Imperial Manila..
the Oligarchs destroyed the Philippine sports for decades.
we need more football stadiums bigger than INC Philippines Stadium outside NCR....because majority of NCR populations are not passionate in sports what they love is to be entertain by the Eh di Wow of Vice Ganda and EBs Al dub.
PFF and Palami should take NCR population seriously...Metro Manilans prefers teleserye and showbiz than sports.
kung saan ang bandwagon and trend dun susuporta ang Metro Manila populations from Ocho-Ocho Gangnam style and Nye nyeh Pabebe moves.
kaya no choice kaya tv networks are degrading our athletes by urging them to dance crap moves of nye nye and twerk it like pabebe moves in You Tube para ma promote ang mga respective sports nila.
parang mga pulitko pag election ibinabasura ang pagiging Statesman basta makabili ng buto sa Masa at magsasayaw ng walang kabuluhan sa harap ng media
There were efforts to invite people to watch the game through repeated press releases in online news site. However, the content is just the same which is basically inviting people to watch the qualifier games. A better way to advertise the team is to include different facts regarding the history of the national team especially during the Far Eastern Games before the year 2000. It is hard to find this is in the internet. Maybe the PFF has a record regarding past fixtures, maybe past players maybe interviewed. It would benefit fans and potential fans to know more about the national team.
ReplyDeleteAlso since the country isn't a football mad country yet. The fact that september is an academic month and the match is scheduled in thursday. This may be the reason for the lower ticket sales.
Deletethe best way to advertise the Fifa WC qualifiers is campus tour.
Deletetargeting young generation of students from elementary to high school.. sa universities & colleges mejo mahirap kasi hati na yung interest ng mga college students.
giving student discounts and free tickets with their immediate family.
yung pinaka upper box na bleachers gawin na lang free admission.
honestly football in PI..is gradually creating a new generation and next young generation fan base..
walang maasahan sa present generation ngayon dahil utak Aldub,COC,Dota at Ginebra yang mga yan.
kailangan i lobby ng PFF kay Senator Cayetano at Angara na maging mandatory sa curriculum ng P.E ang football dahil pinaka number one religion sa boung mundo.
another setback yung demonstration rally ng INC kung tatagal pa yan hanggang 2nd week ng September talagang makaka apekto yan sa gate attendance ng WC qualifiers worst suspendihin pa ang match.
ReplyDeleteisa pa yung venue Philippine stadium ay built ng INC maaring makakadagdag sa tension and worry ng ibang fans lalo na pagtumagal ang rally nila sa EDSA.
ganon?
Deletetalagang perwisyo yan. sana i-sequester na lang ng gobyerno yang philippine arena na yan bilang tax. sa laki ng perwisyo nila dapat magbayad sila.
Delete