Football, Para rin sa Masa
Panahon na para mabura sa kaisipan ng Pinoy na ang football ay laro lamang ng elitist. Mismong si Anton del Rosario, isang mestizo at nagmula sa Buena-pamilya, ang nagpapatotoo na taliwas sa katotohanan.
“Football is not popular as basketball in the Philippines that’s reality. But if you’re talking the world scope, football is a sport for everyone. You can play it even on streets or on makeshift field. Football is for everyone,” pahayag ng dating Azkals Philippine Football team star.
Inamin ni Del Rosario na malaking isyu sa football ang naturang pananaw sa sports, subalit umaasa siyang mawawala ito sa kalaunan.
Marami ang tulad niyang football organizers ang nagsasagawa ng iba’t ibang programa sa mga lalawigan at komunidad upang maipakilala ang sports sa kabataan.
“There’s a football program in Tondo and Payatas in Quezon City where kids teach to play football then forming a team and joined several tournaments just like in Seven Football which I organized for the past five years,”
“In seven football, we have more than 50 teams and hundreds of player boys and girls. Right now, we are active in six cities in Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao, Taguig, Laguna and Batangas. Soon after the pandemic, we will launch a tournament in Cebu City,” sambit pa ni del Rosario.