Little Azkals need support for training

The Philippine Under 13 National Football Team, better known as the Little Azkals, can avail of a one-month summer training camp in Italy next year.

The Scuola Calcio Giacomo Tedesco in Palermo Italy, through its director general Nicolo Ferrante,  offered to sponsor the training camp of the Little Azkals in Palermo, Italy from April to May.

The sponsorship will include accommodation, food and local transportation as well as training modules.

But the team will have to shoulder other expenses, such as the visa processing and airfare.

The team is composed of 30 members, which already includes the coaching staff. The estimated funding needed is P3 million.

Because of this, parents of the team members are working hard to get sponsors for their children.

Richard Montayre, head of the grassroots and youth development committee of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF), earlier said that he cannot guarantee the PFF would cover the team’s travel expenses. He, however, said that PFF  considered to include the Little Azkals in negotiating sponsorship contracts for the older teams.

The Little Azkals’ parents have also agreed to work hand in hand with PFF to raise funds for the team.

Montayre, who is in Manila today to present the budget for the grassroots and youth development based on 33 football associations (FA), said he has allotted P2 million for each national youth team for the year 2012.

He said that if the sponsorships raised will not reach the estimated P3 million, whatever the balance will be taken from the P2 million should it be approved.

Montayre’s budget presentation will be one of the issues that will be tackled during the PFF Board of Governors’ meeting this Friday.

Aside from the P2 million for each national youth team, Montayre has also allotted P15 million for year-round national competitions.

Once the budget proposal is approved, FAs could already start implementing the grassroots development program.

In Italy, the Little Azkals will undergo morning and afternoon training everyday under Italian coaches./CORRESPONDENT MARS G. ALISON