MANILA, Philippines - Three of the country’s top football players and its team manager have signed on as brand ambassadors for Freego Jeans’ Freedom in Jeans campaign that brings an updated sensibility to today’s denims: one that allows freedom and ease of movement for individu- als with active, fast-paced lifestyles and who need jeans that can keep up. The three are mid- fielders Misagh Bahadoran and Jason de Jong, striker Mark Hartmann, together with Azkals team manager Stephen Dan Palami. All four embody the spirit of the Freedom in Jeans campaign.
“Freedom in Jeans was conceptualized with today’s individuals in mind,†ex- plains Tessa Ringor, marketing manager of Jeanology, the company behind Freego. “It emphasizes Freego’s main fashion tenets — style, fit and comfort — and highlights our denim signature: Jeans that feel like they are a natural extension of your body and therefore, leave you free to do whatever you want while looking your best.â€
Dan is, of course, better known in foot- ball circles as the “Savior of Philippine Football†and team manager of the Az- kals (Philippine National Football Team), although he is also the man behind the Global FC, which emerged champion of the UFL (United Football League) Divi- sion 1 League last June 2012. Dan was appointed Azkals team manager in 2009,when the Philippine Football Federation gave him the job.
Aside from playing midfielder for the Azkals (the same position he plays for the Global FC in the UFL), the 26-year- old Filipino-Iranian (his mother is Filipino and his father Iranian) Ba- hadoran — who traces his roots to Mabalacat, Pampanga — has dis- tinguished himself as Southeast Asia’s two- time Futsal top scorer.
Born in Southamp- ton, England, Azkals striker Mark, 21, is a member of the un- der-23 selection for the Southeast Asian Games, and also plays for the Meralco Sparks in the UFL. A bit of trivia about Mark is that he is the youngest of the famed Hartmann brothers that include Darren, who played for the Philippine under-21 during the 2005 Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy, and Matthew, who was a Philippines under-23 and senior inter- national footballer.
Jason plays both midfielder and de- fender. The 23-year-old Azkal, who is also a tri-athlete, was born in Breda, Neth- erlands (he’s half-Filipino, half-Dutch) that helped Stallions FC came forward as champions in the recent UFL champion- ship tournament last December 2012. Jason is set to play on loan for the Global FC to bolster the squad for the upcoming Asian Football Confederation President’s Cup in May.