Smart helps, SMC ignores

By Jack Biantan





LONDON -- Smart, PH largest mobile phone service provider, has given its all-out support to Philippine football while our country's biggest conglomerate San Miguel Corp. has continued to snub the beautiful game.





Smart has even committed P80 million to the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) in 10 years to support the PFF national club championship, now called of course PFF Smart National championship.





A total of eight teams from all over the country have survived the tough regional elimination tournaments and they are currently in the group stages competing for a place in the crossover semis.





This week, four teams are competing in IIoilo and the other four in Cagayan de Oro City for the right to advance to the semis and the final seat at the University of Makati field in Manila late this month.





Competing in Group A, at the Gregorio Pelaez stadium in Cagayan de Oro City, are Bao Breakers FC of Iligan City, Laos FC of Leyte, Smart San Beda FC of Rizal Province, and Teknika of National Capital Region.





In Group B at the Barotac Nuevo plaza in Iloilo are Smart Stallions FC of Iloilo, Columbia FC of Davao, Pachaga of NCR and Baguio United FC of Baguio City.





This is the first time in many years that the Cagayan de Oro-Misamis Oriental Football Association (CMOFA) under its president Mike Batilles has hosted a tournament in this magnitude.





In fact, the CDO-MisOr FA has reportedly paid the administrators of the Gregorio Pelaez stadium P80,000 for the use of the stadium this week. Matches are played Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.





Tickets for the weeklong football fest are reportedly selling like hotcakes as CDO Azkals fans are dying to see in action their football idols. Smart San Beda footballers are led by the poster boys of Philippine football, brothers Phil and James Younghusband.





Fans from all over Mindanao would like also to see other Azkals Chieffy Caligdong and Ian Araneta who are playing for the Teknica team of Dan Palami. Teknica is the Global Smartmatic team that won the UFL title this year.





Underdogs in this group are the Bao Breakers FC of Iligan city and Laos FC of Leyte FA. Laos is the second team owned by Palami in this competition. It is the feeder team for the Teknica team.





If you notice, apart from supporting the league, Smart is also sponsoring two other teams, the Smart San Beda and the Smart Stallion FC of Barotac. The people from Smart have seen and realized how big football is growing in our country.





The success of the Azkals has brought in a large TV audience, sponsors, and thousands or millions of newly converted fans all over the archipelago. Smart is riding on this bandwagon and it has done wonders for the sport.





San Miguel Corp., on the other hand, prefers to stay blind and deaf to the cheers of the Kaholeros. The company was supposed to sponsor the rehabilitation of the Rizal Memorial stadium before the Sri Lanka vs Azkals match but withdrew their support in the last minute.





The PFF was forced to use the money given by Fifa to renovate the stadium. Money, which is supposed to be used for its grassroots projects. Luckily the matches against Sri Lanka and Kuwait were blockbusters and the PFF managed to get back its investments.





Instead of helping football, SMC announced that they are joining the fledging Asean Basketball League next season, adding another team from the Philippines in this regional tournament. Harbour City of sportsman Mike Romero is already in the league.





Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on August 12, 2011.