Booters to help flood victims

RANGOON – This one goes way beyond winning, way beyond football.

The triumphant Azkals, according to team manager Dan Palami, will soon conduct a relief operation for the hundreds of victims of a recent flooding in Tacloban City.

Palami said he will ask the Azkals, at least those based in the Philippines, to join the worthy cause.

“We feel very fortunate to survive the recent calamities,” he said, also referring to a series of earthquakes that chased the team the last couple of weeks.

The Azkals were training in Gotemba, Japan when a magnitude 8.9 earthquake hit the powerful nation, and left thousands and thousands dead, injured or missing.

Then the other day, the Azkals were once again in the middle of an earthquake that rocked Myanmar, magnitude 6.8, and left less than a hundred people dead.

 “The experience in Japan taught us how serious these natural calamities are. Here there was another earthquake,” said the team manager.

“We’re thankful that despite all these, blessings continued to pour in. I am asking the guys to use this opportunity to help the victims of the recent flooding in Tacloban City and nearby towns,” he said.

By the first week of April, the Azkals will take a busload of relief goods to Tacloban City for distribution.

“We will distribute them ourselves. I also ask the fans for their support if they want to be part of this activity,” the 40-year-old Palami said.

“It’s our own little way of helping,” he added.