'Palami effect' influences women's football
This story came out in Sun.Star Cebu
A BUSINESSMAN spending millions just to back a “stunted” sport without any return of investment is something hard to fathom for regular people.
Even Dan Palami could not really pinpoint why he did it.
“I don’t know. All I knew was that it was something I had to do. I have been playing football since I was 10 and I have been saddened in seeing the sport stunted,” said Palami, who attended yesterday’s Board of Governors meeting of the Philippine Football Federation at the Sarrosa International Hotel.
Palami has been credited for building up the PHL Azkals team that reached a level of popularity never before seen in Philippine football history. Amidst a troubled Philippine Football Federation, Palami built the team from the ground up, mostly using his own resources.
Palami spent his own money to search for talents, get good trainers and a good coach and to send the team to competitions.
Palami said when he took over, he had nothing in mind but to see this project through.
“I wanted to redeem myself. Before the men’s team, they made me manage the Under-19 team three weeks before it had to compete in China. The result was we were thrashed by all the teams that competed,” said Palami, who was formally appointed as manager of the Under 23 and men’s team by the PFF board yesterday.
The PFF BOG will also release a resolution commending Palami for his stint with the men’s national team.
Right time
Despite being credited for the PHL success, the unassuming team manager refuses to hog the limelight.
“I was just there at the right time. There are a lot of other people responsible for the success of the Azkals. The team just needs to feel that there is someone willing to back them up,” said Palami.
In the next two years, Palami wants to sustain the popularity of the sport and also plans to hold a training camp in Cebu this summer, in preparation for the World Cup 2014 qualifiers. He also wants to get the No. 5 ranking among Asean countries and to win a medal in this year’s Southeast Asian Games.
Meanwhile, aside from putting up a successful team, Palami is also inspiring others to follow in his footsteps. One of them is Carlo Rodriguez, who, in his own way is also trying to help women’s football.
“It has become a passion to follow Dan Palami’s example… We are trying to set up not just a team but a winning team,” Rodriguez said during his presentation at the PFF Board of Governors meeting yesterday.
Rodriguez said they may be riding on the coattails of the Azkals popularity but they believe it is important to start investing in the women’s team and develop female players now if they want to see results in the future.
“This year is our starting point…We also want to be world-class and the way to do that is to start winning. If we start winning internationally, then we become the darlings of the country,” said Rodriguez.
“We want to introduce the sport to more girls, especially in the grassroots. At first they play for fun, until they want to train for it until they reach a point where they want to go and be competitive,” said Rodriguez
One of the things Rodriguez wants to happen is to include the sport in the Palarong Pambansa. As of now, there is no girls football in the national games.
A BUSINESSMAN spending millions just to back a “stunted” sport without any return of investment is something hard to fathom for regular people.
Even Dan Palami could not really pinpoint why he did it.
“I don’t know. All I knew was that it was something I had to do. I have been playing football since I was 10 and I have been saddened in seeing the sport stunted,” said Palami, who attended yesterday’s Board of Governors meeting of the Philippine Football Federation at the Sarrosa International Hotel.
Palami has been credited for building up the PHL Azkals team that reached a level of popularity never before seen in Philippine football history. Amidst a troubled Philippine Football Federation, Palami built the team from the ground up, mostly using his own resources.
Palami spent his own money to search for talents, get good trainers and a good coach and to send the team to competitions.
Palami said when he took over, he had nothing in mind but to see this project through.
“I wanted to redeem myself. Before the men’s team, they made me manage the Under-19 team three weeks before it had to compete in China. The result was we were thrashed by all the teams that competed,” said Palami, who was formally appointed as manager of the Under 23 and men’s team by the PFF board yesterday.
The PFF BOG will also release a resolution commending Palami for his stint with the men’s national team.
Right time
Despite being credited for the PHL success, the unassuming team manager refuses to hog the limelight.
“I was just there at the right time. There are a lot of other people responsible for the success of the Azkals. The team just needs to feel that there is someone willing to back them up,” said Palami.
In the next two years, Palami wants to sustain the popularity of the sport and also plans to hold a training camp in Cebu this summer, in preparation for the World Cup 2014 qualifiers. He also wants to get the No. 5 ranking among Asean countries and to win a medal in this year’s Southeast Asian Games.
Meanwhile, aside from putting up a successful team, Palami is also inspiring others to follow in his footsteps. One of them is Carlo Rodriguez, who, in his own way is also trying to help women’s football.
“It has become a passion to follow Dan Palami’s example… We are trying to set up not just a team but a winning team,” Rodriguez said during his presentation at the PFF Board of Governors meeting yesterday.
Rodriguez said they may be riding on the coattails of the Azkals popularity but they believe it is important to start investing in the women’s team and develop female players now if they want to see results in the future.
“This year is our starting point…We also want to be world-class and the way to do that is to start winning. If we start winning internationally, then we become the darlings of the country,” said Rodriguez.
“We want to introduce the sport to more girls, especially in the grassroots. At first they play for fun, until they want to train for it until they reach a point where they want to go and be competitive,” said Rodriguez
One of the things Rodriguez wants to happen is to include the sport in the Palarong Pambansa. As of now, there is no girls football in the national games.
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