More on soccer mania

The World Cup fever lingers and readers, still smitten by the soccer bug, continue to flood our desk with letters asking if the sport has a future here.

Rudyard Bacayo, a computer consultant of Citibank in Singapore, had this to say:

"A lot of Filipinos are based in Singapore where soccer is the most popular sport. We bet on the winning team or the total number of goals. In Singapore, it’s legal to bet on soccer games, like lotto in the Philippines. The betting game is called strike. After we watched the World Cup and saw Korea beat some of the favorites, we wondered if the Philippines could do it, too. I think the government should start supporting this sport. We should build more football fields especially in the provinces, persuade the young kids to learn the sport, even the out-of-school youth instead of being hooked to drugs."

Jimmy Padilla, a theater staff nurse of the Northwick Park Hospital in Middlesex, England, wrote in:

"Soccer is a sport where Filipinos can excel because of our natural agility, athleticism, creativity, etc. But this sport has no lucrative career in our country, that is why not much interest is created towards it. Could it be possible for the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) to search for and develop potential players, give them scholarships and other incentives, better yet, hire foreign coaches? Or maybe get those players with genuine interest and greatest potential to study abroad where soccer is the breakfast, lunch, and dinner of everyone.

"With this strategy, we might produce our own David Beckham or Michael Owens. Let them play club football in Europe or somewhere else where they can earn better money. Never mind if we don’t have a local league for the meantime. Sooner, Filipinos will realize and appreciate soccer more than ever and would probably love the game more for its thrills, not just for the money. Who knows–one day, a gritty Filipino team will bring honor to our country not just in the SEA Games or Asian Games but the World Cup."

Jericho Orlino of Makati said:

"Thanks so much for the column ‘Short-lived soccer mania.’ It represents the sentiments of millions of our people who believe that this sport is indeed for Filipinos. I have been waiting since of the World Cup fever for an article that will highlight this reality and true enough, my senses didn’t fail me–you came up with one. It has been my morning habit to surf the internet and the philstar sports section is a must before anything else. I honestly believe that you come up with relevant articles for the greater good of Philippine sports. I hope that our sports officials will be encouraged to really work on a program that will catapult football as an ongoing mania which could eventually lead us to play in the World Cup–who knows?"

Jack Biantan, formerly of Sun Star Daily Cebu, now based in London, commented:

"I follow your column and read philstar everyday in the internet. I am one of the few lucky Filipinos living in England with the English football culture. I am very happy that you wrote about the World Cup. However, I am sad that since the World Cup is now over, I will wait for four more years to read you writing about football. For me, there is really no chance for football in our lifetime to become as big as basketball in the Philippines. The main reason is really cultural. The Brits, since they are born, are fed with football. Like the Filipinos who are also fed with basketball since birth. In spite of the fanatical support basketball has in our country, football should also be given a chance to prosper.

"Some suggestions: Revamp the PFF. Government should help in making football fields and later stadiums. Private companies should give more money. Schools should hire more PE teachers who have knowledge in football, not dancing. Make the national team strong, hire a foreign coach. Create a semi-pro league then a pro league so that our football-playing kids have something to look up to. If I win the British lottery, I will come back to the Philippines and implement this project using my own money."

Alex Abella of [email protected] noted:

"It is very encouraging to read a sports article about soccer in a Philippine newspaper. I really wish the Philippines could revive the interest and passion that I thought we used to have in the game. I’m very involved in soccer in the US and I’m planning to retire in the Philippines. So I hope I can contribute later when I go back home. I’m presently the coaching director of the Zachary Area Soccer Association (Louisiana) and maybe, someday, help in the soccer future of the Philippines.

"I think exposure such as regular news coverage will really help revive the sport in the Philippines and introducing the elementary level kids to the game would also help as an alternative to basketball. Here in the US, soccer is the largest participating sport for kids especially for girls. I hope the PFF will succeed in reviving soccer."

Ron Nethercutt, a music professor of the University of the Philippines-Diliman wrote to [email protected] and sent a copy to The STAR sports section:

"You pondered as to why football is not more popular in the Philippines. At first thought, it appears to be a natural because of the agile capabilities of the Filipino athlete. It also has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive. You also wondered why the Philippines is so obsessed with the three Bs—basketball, billiards and boxing. It is my feeling that these three require small areas and can be played indoors. This is very beneficial during the lengthy rainy seasons but more importantly, football requires large fields and stadiums. Both of these may not be available or cost probative, especially in Luzon. To develop a stable of youths with the skills needed to turn pro, many fields would need to be developed and several stadiums constructed. Perhaps land availability is why football is more popular in the Visayas and Mindanao.

"Hopefully, the Philippines will find a way to conquer the land problems and introduce Filipinos and Filipinas to the wonderful game. I added Filipinas since the US has had great success with young female teams.

Who knows, the Philippines may become another giant killer. I think everyone was very surprised when one of the smallest countries in Latin America, Costa Rica, defeated the most populous nation on earth, China, in the World Cup."

Thanks for your thoughts and keep those letters coming. Your feedback is important to us.