Mindanaotoday.com | Gutierrez meets Piñol in Cotabato
By: Jack Biantan
Cagayan de Oro City — The most important equipment needed to play the game of football is a ‘football’. Every coach and player playing the sport knows this.
As a player before, I was in heaven every time I had a football on my feet. As a coach I feel great if I have dozens of footballs for my team. I could teach the kids better with many footballs.
That is why I am indebted to John Gutierrez for giving me five footballs, and five futsal balls during the Del Monte Football Festival two months ago. That is how low my threshold of happiness.
Giving away ‘footballs’ to clubs, FA’s and persons who need them is just one John’s program to spread the gospel of the beautiful game all over the country.
“How can a kid enjoy football without a ball,” said Gutierrez, who gave out ‘footballs’ during the Del Monte Football Cup awarding ceremony.
Aside from giving away ‘footballs’, Gutierrez has lined-up plans for football development on the country as he gears up his campaign to seek the highest position in the Philippine Football Federation (PFF).
He discussed this plans with current Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Vice President and Mt. Apo Regional
Football Association (MARFA) president and Mlang North Cotabato Vice Mayor Joselito Piñol.
He also showed respect to Piñol, considered as the ‘Godfather’ of football in Mindanao, in a courtesy visit in his office in Mlang, North, Cotabato.
Among the plans discussed were the alignment of the development programs and the empowerment of the RFAs. They also discussed on how to help grassroots development specially the coaches and the players.
Gutierrez also gave to Piñol footballs to be used for the MARFA summer programs.
Gutierrez has already visited 31 local football associations all over the country in the past months and has given out thousands of footballs for their development programs.
According to sources, John Gutierrez plans to revive the different PFF training centers all over the country so that elite players from the different regions in different age groups, will be gathered and then trained in a uniformed program.
It will be then be easier to select players for the different age group national teams.
There are already few training centers the PFF has built and managed by the local FA’s.
The Valencia City, Bukidnon PFF training center is among them. Guttierez, as the Bukidnon Football Association (BUFA) General Secretary, has started rehabilitating the center using his own money.
There are also football centers in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, Biñan, Laguna, Cavite and the brand-new training pitch in barangay Palanog, Tacloban City, Leyte.
Imagine if the Philippine football community could select players from these centers instead of spending millions on trying to discover foreign based Filipino players.
That would be a lot of money to be saved and more opportunities for our local players. (jackbiantantambok@gmail.com)
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