AS one of the youngest heads of a National Sports Association in recent years, newly-elected Philippine Football Federation president John Gutierrez aims to hit the ground running, youth and grassroots development among his top priorities.
The general secretary of the Bukidnon Football Association, Gutierrez, 46, won by a landslide in polls held last Saturday at the Bellevue Hotel ballroom in Muntinlupa, garnering 30 votes out of a possible 36.
Three voted for Davao’s Henry Sabate and three votes went to Stallion-Laguna FC owner Filbert Alquiros.
Gutierrez replaced outgoing president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta Jr., who had a highly-successful tenure at the post for over a decade beginning in December 2010 when the Philippine Azkals achieved their semifinal breakthrough in the AFF Championship, then known as the Suzuki Cup.
“I feel overwhelmed with the number of votes that we garnered. And because of such, I think we have the support of the PFF congress which would make the job easier, so to speak. I am happy that support was more than a super majority,” Gutierrez said.
Joining Gutierrez, an accomplished businessman and the owner of Pachanga FC, in the PFF Executive Committee are first vice-president Lawrence Lemuel Fortun; second Vice-President Jay Adriatico and female member Isabella Francesca Fernando, the former Filipinas overall coordinator.
