Philippine Azkals. Contributed Photo
In the country’s quest of making it to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the Philippine Azkals are definitely going all in.
And with that dream comes a big leap of faith, entrusting the building of the team’s kit to the hands of a local manufacturer.
“It’s about time that a local brand becomes the team’s outfitter,” said men’s football national team manager Dan Palami.
LGR Sportswear was tapped to outfit the Azkals for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
“We were conceptualizing it a couple of years ago, but at that time, they weren’t ready yet. We wanted to make sure that when we put up the kit, we can be proud of it and the players can be comfortable and feel proud wearing it. That’s what we’ve been able to come up with,” Palami said.
LGR Sportswear Executive Vice President Rhayan Cruz admitted that the challenge of putting up a presentable kit for the Azkals was something they took head on and the completion of the kits brought great honor to his company.
“It’s very overwhelming that sir Dan trusted us. Even the players, they had great feedback on the kit,” he said.
Unveiling the three sets of uniforms on Wednesday at the Sparta Recreational and Fitness Center, LGR incorporated different facets which are all inspired by one thing: the Philippine flag.
Both the white home kit and the blue away kit carry a Filipino weave design printed in the back, alternating with the three stars and the sun and the Azkals logo.
The sleeved black goalkeeper kit, meanwhile, have the weave print in front highlighted by a yellow trim on the uniform’s chest.
The Azkals also partnered with Adidas as the team’s footwear sponsor for the qualifiers.
All three uniforms will be used by the Azkals in the World Cup qualifiers, which will begin on June 11 at Philippine Sports Stadium against Bahrain.
Palami, though, insisted that the biggest draw for the kit was the players’ comfort, saying, “They have to move and play with it comfortably.”
“I think it’s one of the most comfortable kits that the team has played in, and it’s really comparable with the bigger brands in the world,” said the godfather of Philippine football. “I’m just happy that we have a Filipino manufacturer that can compete with the bigger brands.”