ISULAN – Sultan Kudarat has formally received a new artificial football pitch for the province’s young athletes on November 7, in a project carried out with the Philippine Football Federation (PFF), the Asian Football Confederation, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), and the Sultan Kudarat Regional Football Association (SKRFA).
PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez and Sultan Kudarat Chief of Staff Kaharudin G. Dalaten led the turnover ceremony on behalf of Governor Datu Pax Ali Sangki Mangudadatu, together with Isulan Mayor Bai Rihan Sakaluran and Vice-Mayor Arnold Armada, who is the President of SKRFA.
The project forms part of the PFF’s national program to build facilities and playing fields across the regions, strengthening football at the grassroots level.
“Our goal is to bring quality facilities closer to the communities where our young players live,” Gutierrez said.
“This is our second modern pitch completed in Mindanao in 2026, with an AFF pitch launched in Tagum, Davao del Norte, last June 2026. We are also breaking ground for a new one in Surigao City and Cagayan de Oro this week. Football has always been vibrant in Mindanao, contributing significantly to the sport’s national growth. This region deserves modern pitches and facilities, and PFF, our Mindanao RFAs, and our partner LGUs are on top of this,” Gutierrez added.
Provincial officials said the facility is expected to become the center of football training in Sultan Kudarat, helping young players sharpen their skills. It also supports the provincial government’s advocacy to provide safe, modern, world-class playing spaces for local athletes, and aims to draw young people toward active lifestyles and away from vices.
Isulan Mayor Bai Rihan Mangudadatu Sakaluran thanked the PFF for the new facility.
“Our heartfelt thanks to the Philippine Football Federation, especially to PFF President Sir John Anthony Gutierrez, for this wonderful project for our young Sultan Kudarateño athletes,” Sakaluran said.
With the pitch now open, local tournaments, clinics, and training sessions for students and youth are expected to begin in the coming months.
