NATIONAL team manager Dan Palami has started to tighten the leash on the Philippine Azkals, virtually warning them on the squad’s Facebook page that he would not tolerate any "distractions" that may hamper their performance on the pitch.
"We are the first one to call out any Azkal whose game is threatened by ‘distractions’ in any form," Palami wrote in a statement posted on the social networking site on Monday night shortly after they arrived in Japan for the last phase of their training for their Asian Challenge Cup return match against Mongolia on March 15 in Ulan Bator.
"I would like to categorically assure everyone that the coaches and I are taking all steps necessary to ensure the Azkals always give their best," he added.
A businessman who poured a small fortune into the team’s buildup as far back as November 2009, Palami said he was compelled to issue the statement because "some concerns about the potential distraction of fame and celebrity for players have resulted in unfortunate controversies.
"I would prefer to keep silent on matters off the pitch, but some issues persist and these unwarranted doubts can’t be healthy for the team.
"As long as each one fulfills his professional responsibilities, I wouldn’t interfere in a player’s personal life or bar him from undertaking projects in other fields," he said.
Palami noted that "with so many new aspirants for the national team, the competition for spots has become more intense, and I can tell you the Azkals are working harder than ever."
But Palami also lightened up and praised the present members, saying "every Azkal who has made it this far has earned his spot through hard work, talent, and ability to work well with the team."
The nationals have become instant celebrities and triggered national "Azkalmania" after their sensational showing in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup 2010 where they reached the semifinals for the first time in the 14-year history of Southeast Asia’s men’s football championship.
Among the most prominent of the team members are the Younghusband siblings, Phil and James, who have become the unofficial poster boys and heartthrobs of the squad.
Phil, 24, the more gregarious and outgoing of the two brothers, has been in the spotlight after asking comely actress Angel Locsin for a date through Twitter.
Reports have it they have already dated, and fans of both player and showbiz personality have set up up their own Facebook page www.facebook.com/philgel for updates on the couple.
Palami also addressed the issue of some quarters who are apparently envious of his wards’ newfound fame and fortune.
"All this time when they played for the Philippines, the Azkals would lose income because of time spent away from better-paying jobs. Compared to football players in other countries, our Azkals receive a mere pittance, and yet they play on.
"If admiration, endorsements and other opportunities are now coming their way, I hope none of us will begrudge them a little taste of their well-deserved victory," he said.
The team arrived in Japan last Monday afternoon and is now quartered at the J-Village in the city of Gotemba at the foot of Mt. Fuji, an hour’s drive from the Japanese capital of Tokyo, where the weather was a cool 7-degree Celsius.
They hope to use the next six days to acclimatize to the Mongolian weather, which continued to be minus-7 as of yesterday.
The Azkals leave on Sunday for Ulan Bator, with a stopover in Incheon, South Korea, giving them at least two days to cope with the subzero conditions they expect in Mongolia.
/via Malaya (BY BONG PEDRALVEZ, 3/9/2011)
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