Liderato sa SEAG-PFF dapat nang ayusin

“You are the president of Philippine football. You are the host for all the football teams. Why send an underling? “Are you only there front and center when everything is okay?”

Iyan ang dismayadong pahayag ni dating Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) President at ngayon ay Tarlac Congressman Charlie Cojuangco nang hindi niya narinig ang paghingi ng paumanhin ng lider ng Philippine Football Federation (PFF) sa kabila ng sunud-sunod na nakahihiyang problema na nangyari sa on-going football competition ng SEA Games. Sa halip ay sina Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) head and House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano at PFF general secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes ang siyang naharap sa foreign delegations upang mag-sorry.

Sinabi ni Cojuangco, isang football patron sa kanyang distrito sa Tarlac na kailangang ayusin na ni Mariano “Nonong” Araneta ang hosting job ng PFF sa football teams sa idinaraos na SEA Games, na tila napapabayaan at kulang umano ang suporta sa football grassroots project.

Idinagdag niya na ang PFF bilang hosting NSA ay dapat tiniyak na lahat ng bagay nakaayos bilang paghahanda sa darating na foreign teams at maging sa Philippine team, bago pa ang simula ng biennial meet. “The PHISGOC is handling everything, yes, but the PFF also has carries the responsibilty to make sure everything was in order for football,” dagdag pa ni Charlie. Kinuwestiyon din niya ang karakter ni Nonong, “I was compelled to speak out after I found out that he did to Ricky Yanson (ang bagong NOFA president), what he also did to me.”

“During the time I was also running for PFF president, I had a similar arrangement with Nonong,” pahayag ni Cojuangco. “He asked me to give way to him as I planned to run for PFF president. So I was surprised that, after three days, I heard that he had thrown his support behind Mari Martinez, may he rest in peace. We all know what happened to PFF during Mari Martinez’s tenure, and you have Nonong to thank for that.” Humarap na si Charlie sa media nang malaman na nangako si Nonong sa PFF presidency ni Yanson. Itinanggi ni Araneta na may kasunduan sila ni Yanson.

Ikinagulat naman ito ng Regional Football Associations (RFAs) dahil ayon sa PFF rules, dalawang termino lang ang uupuan ng PFF prexy at inaasahan si Yanson na papalit kay Nonong. “So it’s now an issue of character,” ani Cojuangco. “I didn’t say anything before because it’s in the past and I had forgiven him and moved on. But the fact that he did it again makes me question his character.” Nahihirapan din diumano ang grassroots development sa termino ni Nonong bilang football prexy maging ang new age-group tournaments na pinangangako ni Nonong ay ginawa na noong una. Sa nagdaang 4 na taon, ang PFF ay may iisa lang age-group tourney.

Sinabi ni Charlie, na si Nonong at ang PFF ngayong taon ay nakatanggap ng award mula sa Asian Football Confederation (AFC) dahil sa tagumpay ng NOFA sa ilalim ni Yanson at sobrang umaasa sa Fil-foreign players maging sa taunang pondo na ibinibigay ng FIFA, ang world governing body ng sport. “The national team is not the only football the PFF should be involved in. Foreign-born and -trained athletes are just a temporary solution. The building blocks should be grassroots development, and here, Araneta has been found sorely wanting.”