PFF pushes for natural grass in training hub

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) wants a separate natural grass field to complement the artificial turf that will be built through a Fifa grant in the proposed National Football Training Center in Carmona, Cavite.

Under the $500,000 Fifa Goal 3 Project, a 2-star artificial pitch will be constructed at the San Lazaro Leisure Park along with support facilities like training rooms and dormitories to serve as training hub of the Phl Azkals, Malditas and other national age group squads.

PFF president Nonong Araneta stressed the importance of putting up a natural pitch as well to make the nationals more flexible in different surfaces and said they will be constructing one drawing funding from the latest bonus amounting to $250,000 that the federation received from the Fifa.

“Kailangan ng national teams natin ng (our national teams need) infrastructure, that’s why we’re putting more money into Carmona,” Araneta said in a recent guesting on dzSR.

“Aside from the artificial turf, kailangang may natural pitch din kami doon kasi nawawala na ang natural pitch natin ngayon. Kung may laro ang national team natin sa natural pitch, saan sila magpa-practice na medyo maganda? (We should have a natural pitch in the center because natural pitches are becoming scarce in the country. If our national team will play their rivals on natural pitch, where can they practice in?),” he added.

This scenario happened last year when the Azkals played in the AFF Suzuki Cup. Being used to Rizal Memorial Stadium’s artificial turf, the Pinoy booters had to somehow adjust playing on grass again in the group stage at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi as well as the second leg of the semis against Thailand at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.