Dan Palami's speech

I FINALLY got a copy of Dan Palami's speech during the SAC Awards, and I particularly like the part about how the Azkals will consider the fans' input for the sport. He also asked the media to help "Help us look out for failed promises and commitments; call our attention when you see potential abuses in the system; herald too, all the unrecognized players, and
staff and coaches who quietly go about their work and create real changes on the ground."

One more thing, Dan also shared the stage with the Cebu Eastern College Dragons, who in 2009 got mangled by more than 151 points but won the Cesafi title a year later after changing their football programs.

You can read the full text after the break:


Good afternoon.

To be recognized by prime movers, experts and lovers of sports, is an incredible honor. Thank you,
Cebu Sportswriters Association, thank you to everyone here tonight.


It feels especially good to receive this honor in great company. Congratulations Donnie Nietes. The past year was the closest I’ve been to the world of sports. Everything I have seen--– the discipline and difficulties you struggle with, the brilliance and dedication that athletes and their coaches apply--all the dynamics at play, have doubled my admiration and respect for people like you.
Congratulations again.


I’m aware that this Presidential Award is much more than an honor to me personally. So rather than focusing on me, I’ll use this opportunity to thank the persons and groups with whom I must share this recognition.



First, not just because you are my hosts, but because you truly deserve it, I bring this honor back to Cebu.


The team and I are very thankful to you, the sportswriters of Cebu, the many football enthusiasts, and all the clubs in your football association, for embracing the Azkals early on.


When we were largely unnoticed in most parts of the country, you were among the first to write Azkals stories that were reposted many times over on the web. You made others sit up and take notice. You
sparked interest in fans who appreciated your handle on the game. We didn’t really have to explain the game’s technicalities to you; you got your stories right--most of the time. We were -- we are--
grateful to have media who obviously follow football and understand our passion for it.


Our country’s ills, perennial lack of funds, and weak fiscal policies, stunt the development of most sports, but Cebu has managed to build one of the more vibrant sports communities. You’ve made
great contributions with your brilliant athletes such as those honored here this afternoon, your dedicated coaches, and your superb trainers. I’m sure Paolo Pascual, one of our newest Azkals, is just
one of many Cebu-based talents who are waiting to be discovered.


I cannot promise you the world, but in my capacity as manager of the Azkals, I hope that what we do on the international level will help step up your game and inspire greater changes here. When circumstances permit, we want to bring the Azkals back to Cebu and hold more training camps and football clinics. You were there for our difficult beginnings, and so should you be there too for the glory
days.


Credit also goes to our sponsors and partners. I am gratified--relieved, if you will--that global and regional football federations, government officials, and corporate partners have come on board and granted full support to the Azkals and the football program. Finally, we are not alone. Even the DepEd is considering football for schools.



I am doubly grateful to the few companies who helped the Azkals even when we were still invisible.
Thank you for believing in us.



All of this help means that we can build on our gains in the past year and realize the full potential of Philippine football. I will do my part to ensure that the outpouring of support and investments go to building up the sport, not the egos or self-interests of individuals. As you know, we have learned many hard lessons, and we are determined not to suffer for the same mistakes.


You in the media can help us do that. Help us look out for failed promises and commitments; call our attention when you see potential abuses in the system; herald too, all the unrecognized players, and
staff and coaches who quietly go about their work and create real changes on the ground.


Speaking of changes, I must also acknowledge the great contributions of our 100,000- strong fans all over the country. Azkals pages have sprouted on various web platforms. When I last checked, one fan page had nearly 123,000 likes! That’s astounding, considering that the page had only about a thousand fans in June.


These changes mirror the experience of our players. Before they became an overnight sensation, few knew about Chieffy, Ali, Ian and the rest of the team; Neil and the other Fil-Fors flew in and out of the
country with little fanfare, and, I doubt if Phil then would have had the guts to score a date thru twitter.


But thanks to sports lovers who relentlessly filled the web and other media with football news, and thanks to veteran fans who educated other fans on the sport, the interest built up into the formidable
force that our fans have become today. They were amazing in Panaad. The chants, the wave, the white shirts and scarves – all the things they discussed and pledged to do on the fan pages – made for
an unforgettable experience for the Azkals. The home crowd was electrifying!

Even today, the fans sustain interest in football and engage us in passionate discussion about their own visions and dreams for the program. We have our own strong convictions, but when supporters have the team’s best interests at heart, we’re always ready to listen and give their views serious consideration.

Finally, and most importantly, I share this award with the Azkals – with the players, the coaches and the staff of the Philippine Football Team.

Whew, Azkals, we’ve come a long way. Throughout the long drought, when the team barely managed to scrape enough to rent a practice field…when practice gear, uniforms, equipment, tickets, board and lodging, let alone training camps(!) were cause for serious funding nightmares…when there was hardly any compensation for your troubles…when you suffered humiliating defeats at the hands of better-prepared and much better-paid competitors, you toiled and persevered through it all.

I’ve heard it said that every great achievement is impossible, until someone sets a goal to make it a reality. When I accepted management of the team, well-meaning friends advised me to stop
“throwing money away,” but I defiantly insisted on aiming for what was then inconceivable.

Thank you, Azkals, for trusting me. Thank you for believing in the new game plan. When the journey was lonely and frustrating, when weariness sometimes crept in, you gave me reason to keep believing.

And I am so grateful that we kept on. You see, the Azkals and I love football, and we needed to make Filipinos understand why. The miracle in Hanoi…the magical run…the fairytale…. We wanted our story to wake Filipinos up to the possibilities.

For just as Philippine football can be beautiful, so can the rest of our country’s sports grow. We can do wonders when we give athletes the right support. Faith, hard work, and yes, tremendous sacrifice can
all come together, and a clear intention will emerge. One set of tactics overcomes another… team mates pass the ball as if they could read each other’s minds…brilliant skills make the ball go where it’s supposed to go…and suddenly, deafening cheers as a player lands a magnificent goal!


I’ve had a glimpse into the future of Philippine football, and I’m humbled to have played a part in shaping it. I hope my story will remind Filipinos that with determination, resolve, and a willingness to
give it your all, we can all make the extraordinary happen.


For all of these – for the privilege of giving hope, for the glorious sight of football camps sprouting all over the country, for this incredible football renaissance – I ultimately have the beautiful game to
thank.

This award you have bestowed on me today means that I will continue giving back to football everything it has given me, so that I might even be more worthy of this honor.

Again, thank you all very much.