Comedy of errors
THE Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), of which I have been a member for more than 30 years, keeps insisting that we can accredit an athlete to the international competition such as the SEA Games, Asian Games, or the Olympics, even if an athlete is not endorsed or accredited by the National Sports Association (NSA). In this case, we’re talking about our controversial and Asia’s best pole vaulter EJ Obiena. POC claims that even if Patafa does not accredit Obiena, POC will do everything for Obiena to represent the country in all these Games. Means bypassing the NSA.
If there’s anyone who knows better that this can’t be done is our own POC President Bambol Tolentino. He tends to forget that in the 2009 Laos SEA Games, twelve cyclists not accredited by his NSA and IF, the UCI, were not allowed by the organizers to join, even if they were already in Laos, endorsed by the POC under Peping Cojuangco. Tolentino, was the recognized NSA President by the IF while the POC then recognized Cong. Mikee Romero. The lone lady cyclist endorsed by
Tolentino’s NSA, Marites Baby Bitbit, was also not allowed to participate, in fairness to the others. This brought about a Senate hearing on a “harassment” complaint by Bitbit for missing the event. In short, as long as the International Athletics Federation recognizes Philip Juico as President, Obiena will not be able to vault. In case he qualifies for the Olympics, he may be allowed to vault as an individual, without representing our country and flag, as what happened to many athletes in the last Tokyo Olympics, especially from Russia for doping violations.
Want more? In the 2005 SEA Games held here in Bacolod and Manila, our national sport basketball under the Basketball Association of the Philippines, was suspended and banned from participating also by the IF, FIBA, in spite of the plea from our
POC, the organizing committee. We were helpless in spite of the rage from all our crazy basketball fans. But in case Tolentino has something up his sleeves, congrats in advance.
So here’s the bottom line. First, POC must not ratify the persona non grata on Juico as proposed by the Executive Board in our next General Assembly on January 26. To have peace in the POC, Patafa must then reinstate EJ Obiena to the national pool. It’s as simple as that. Let the Philippine Sports Commission mediate with these parties concerned for a month and let’s move on. I’m sure Chairman Ramirez can handle that. Meeting of minds. Let’s all stop making fools of ourselves. Stop the mud slinging. People are laughing at us, especially at this time of the Omicron. Our people deserve no less. Fly EJ fly. But study accounting in your free time too. You still have a long way to go. Paris is just the beginning.
And oh, by the way, Tolentino beat Juico for the POC Presidency by four votes in our election 2016. Keep safe everyone.