Football fever sweeps sugarland city

By Joaquin Henson

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines � All roads lead to the Panaad Stadium where the national football team plays Mongolia in the opener of an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup qualifying home-and-away series here Wednesday night as sugarland�s City of Smiles braces for a mob scene in what is expected to be a mad scramble for tickets in the swirl of Azkalmania.

Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mariano Araneta, Jr. said yesterday 10,000 general admission tickets will be given free to the public, 2,000 tickets set aside for VIPs and 4,000 tickets for sale at P300 apiece.

Araneta will fly in from Manila tomorrow. He said 5,000 of the 10,000 general admission tickets are reserved for the PFF�s 33 regular members, five associate members and one probationary member. Of the 5,000 allocated for the PFF, the Iloilo association has a reservation for 1,500. How the balance of 5,000 will be distributed to Bacolod fans is still to be determined. A proposal to distribute the 5,000 tickets at the Panaad Stadium about six hours before the match may be reconsidered to avoid a stampede.

The PFF has designated Red Avelino to head the local organizing committee and he is expected to coordinate with the provincial government and the Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) in determining an orderly system of ticket distribution.

Araneta said the PFF office in Pasig began distributing tickets to buyers from Manila yesterday. The PFF office will remain open today to settle ticket orders from on-line and walk-in customers. Starting tomorrow, the tickets will only be available here.

City Mayor Bing Leonardia said the local police force will be on standby for any eventuality. So far, Leonardia mentioned the only request he has received from the PFF through Avelino was to make available a fire truck. Last Thursday, a Korean team made up of students from the Central Philippine University of Iloilo paid a courtesy call on Leonardia before playing the Azkals at the Panaad Stadium.

�I was informed that the PFF has asked the provincial police to provide security during the match,� said Leonardia. �The city government is ready to support. We will do traffic enforcement and garbage disposal and whatever else is necessary.�

Since the Azkals arrived here last Jan. 26, the city has been in a frenzy. Shrieking teen-aged girls follow the players around like groupies with rock stars. Some 3,500 fans watched the Azkals beat the Korean team, reinforced by two Ilonggos, 4-1, in a friendly and hundreds stormed the pitch to celebrate the victory at the final horn. The Azkals practice twice a day, morning and afternoon, drawing big crowds at the Panaad Stadium, the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos field and a small, private pitch owned by the Yanson family in Talisay.

Philippine Airlines station manager Segismundo (Jun) Sison said all flights are booked from Manila to Bacolod this coming week. �There are about 20 flights from different airlines landing in the Bacolod-Silay airport every day,� said Sison. �If the direct flight from Manila to Bacolod is unavailable anymore, visitors can go via Iloilo or Cebu. There�s a ferry from Iloilo to Bacolod. Philippine Airlines will be happy to find alternative flights on our routes for those who want to watch the match.�

Philstar