MANILA---Philippine football got another shot-in-the-arm following the announcement of Air21 that it is pouring in P21 million over the next 10 years for its programs.
The announcement was made Friday night at the launch of the MVP Sports Foundation Inc. of business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan, who also turned over a giant replica of an P80-million check to Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta representing a 10-year commitment for the sport.
The funding from Air21, a giant freight forwarder owned by businessman-sportsman Bert Lina, will be coursed through the foundation.
Pangilinan hailed Lina’s support and also urged the private sector to follow suit.
“It’s a great contribution to complement what we’ve done so far,” Pangilinan said. “We hope other companies will also join us. They are welcome. It’s not just our exclusive pro-vince.”
Lina said it is part of the advocacy of his companies to support sports, noting that his experience watching the AFC Challenge Cup game of the Philippine Team against Mongolia at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod was unforgettable.
“I think if we could make a good timeline, we can reach greater heights in football,” said Lina, who also supports cycling and owns the Air21 Express in the PBA. “It was an amazing feeling watching the Philippine flag being waved. It gives us a lot of pride.”
Araneta said he was “flabbergasted and overwhelmed” by the overflowing of support for football from the private sector.
“The pressure is now on us to deliver and to really show the sponsors that we will give glory to our country,” he said.
Araneta also assured the PFF sponsors of transparency and vowed that the assistance to the PFF will be put to good use.
Eight sports
Pangilinan identified eight sports that the foundation will be supporting vigorously—basketball, boxing, cycling, taekwondo, badminton , tennis, running and football.
“We have set specific, reasonably ambitious, realistic and achievable goals for each sport,” Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan stressed that the growing public interest and involvement in sports should push sports leaders to perform better.
“They should perform better because this country deserves more than what we’ve done so far and I think we in business should do our part in helping the process along,” he added.
Pangilinan said that “in many, many respects, sports is a metaphor for life, the kind of values that drive an athlete to excel are precisely the same values that drive ordinary folk to excel.”
Pangilinan stressed that sports needs the support of media because when well-advertised, it will generate the following and support that a particular sport needs.
Pangilinan also revealed that his UHF Channel 41 will be launched on Feb. 21, adding “we do hope we could cover the eight sports that we want to support in its entirety and give it the full media backing it deserves.”
Ronnie Nathanielsz, Phil. Daily Inquirer
