THE last time a candidate was mindful enough to meet the different football association presidents before the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) election, it didn’t do him much good because he was running against a guy who knew how to grease pockets.
That was almost a decade ago and the winning bet got unceremoniously booted out two years into his term because of some questionable decisions. His early exit came after a couple of ousters failed to prosper because, guess what, he greased pockets again.
Good riddance, I say.
Now, Negros Occidental Football Association president Ricky Yanson is courting the Mindanao FA presidents for their vote. He met them and presented his programs and he also promised to organize a Nofa Cup in Davao next month.
After eight years of Nonong Araneta at the helm, I’ve always wondered who could be the right fit as president and for me, no one fits the bill better than Yanson.
Look how he has transformed Nofa and if you doubt me, look how he has transformed Ceres Negros. From a college-based squad to the best in the country and one of the best in Southeast Asia.
I like his plan to put up a national youth tournament as for me, that was what Araneta overlooked. In fairness to him though, he was busy building the PFF from the ground up and a national youth tournament for the boys 15 was started in his final year.
A national tournament, especially one that follows a step-ladder format, is a god-send to some FAs that don’t have enough money for sponsors. Trust me, I grew up in a place whose only non-Department of Education-related tournament was the Coke-Go-For-Goal.
Nofa already holds a pseudo national U13 tournament, though it is invitation-based and I think an expanded version of such would be like manna from heaven to other FAs. If they want to have a team, they have to hold a local elims, giving local players more events.
The chosen age group is quite curious, too. The best of these players are a year away from reaching their peak at the Palarong Pambansa and are two years away from making the cut in high school, so giving them a national event will be nice for continuity for them.
Of course, Yanson has to win first to have his vision realized. But this early and with him extending the courtesy of visiting the FA presidents of the vote-rich Mindanao block, who’s crazy enough to run against him?
He’s the ideal guy to replace Nonong.