Wednesday, 2 March 2011

FIFA to finance Mindanao pitch

MANILA, Philippines � The Philippine Football Federation is looking at building a football pitch in Mindanao under the International Football Federation (FIFA) grant hoping the move will create a bigger base for Philippine football and encourage grassroots development for the sport.

PFF president Mariano �Nonong� Araneta told the Bulletin yesterday that the association is now looking for a viable site.

The construction of the regular pitch will be financed through the Goal Project 5 of FIFA, which will grant the Philippines a $500,000 (P21.7 million) donation for the purpose.

To get approval of the FIFA grant, the PFF must find a donor of a land who will allow the association to use it for at least 30 years for free.

�We have already sent letters to the football associations in Mindanao asking them if they are interested to have the pitch and if they could find a donor for the land,� Araneta said yesterday, adding that the PFF has given them until March 20 to reply.

Bukidnon and Davao are the leading candidates for the football pitch.

Araneta said he�s hoping to find a donor within the next few months or before FIFA holds a meeting on Goal Project proposals in October, so a Memorandum of Agreement can be signed.

The announcement of a possible Mindanao pitch came a day after FIFA approved the PFF�s proposal to build an artificial pitch in Para�aque City in a 4.5-hectare of land donated by El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde.

Manila Bulletin

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