THE Philippine Olympic Committee Executive Board yesterday suspended the national sports associations of athletics and tennis during its special meeting, a move that opened the door for world-ranked pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena to participate in the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games in May.
POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) was suspended for its non-compliance with an order from the International Tennis Federation to amend its charter and hold fresh elections to select a truly representative set of board members.
The Philta has been serving a two-year suspension by the ITF since late 2020 and the sanction faces extension unless the NSA complies with the world tennis body’s instruction.
Tolentino said the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association was also suspended for failing to serve its purpose as an NSA — “has the dedication and commitment toward the development of the sport, promoting the ideals of the Olympic Movement and the spirit of sportsmanship.”
“Our constitution states the POC may suspend for any reason. However, it’s transparent that Patafa has deliberately and intentionally disregarded our basic principles of promoting sports and development,” Tolentino said.
“Unfortunately, the non-endorsement of EJ has created a national issue,” Tolentino added.
“Obiena, under our International Olympic Committee Charter, has two reasons to be endorsed–sports merit and inspiration to the youth.”
Tolentino said that despite sincere efforts by Obiena to go through mediation, “Patafa prioritized its pride, and it saddens (me) to look closely on a chance slowly gripping away. They have withheld an opportunity of the Filipino people to have another world record.”
Patafa has denied Obiena’s request that he be endorsed to the world indoor championships that start today, Friday, in Belgrade as well as the Vietnam SEA Games, Eugene (Oregon) world championships in July, and the Hangzhou (China) Asian Games in September.
“The time is clearly now for EJ who is mentally and physically prepared,” Tolentino said.
“We are in a reachable milestone within our grasp.”
The suspension will be effective for 90 days and will be ratified by the POC General Assembly during its regular meeting on March 30. If ratified, Patafa will not have any authority over the national athletics team to the SEA Games, giving Obiena a chance to defend his gold medal in Vietnam.
But Tolentino said both suspensions could be dismissed sooner.
“If Philta complies with the ITF order, and the ITF accepts Philta’s compliance, the suspension of the tennis association will be lifted immediately,” he said.
For the athletics body, it looked simpler.
“If the PSC’s mediation efforts over Patafa and EJ is completed and ironed out, its suspension will also be lifted,” said Tolentino, adding a separate resolution on the automatic lifting of the suspensions were also forged by the board.
Nine members of the board voted for the suspension, while two–Charlie Ho (netball) and Cynthia Carrion-Norton (gymnastics) abstained. POC Chairman Steve Hontiveros and International Olympic Committee Representative to the Philippines Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski were absent.
The suspensions will give the POC direct supervision over Philta and Patafa’s national athletes–including Obiena–coaches and sporting officials, while financial matters will be under the control of the Philippine Sports Commission.
“These suspensions are actually not a landmark decision by the POC,” Tolentino said. “We have at least two precedents when similar athlete-NSA issues rocked Philippine sports in the past.”
Former Asian sprint queen Lydia De vega was endorsed by the POC, then under the late Gov. Jose Sering, for her participation in the Asean Cup.
The late Leopoldo Serantes, Tolentino said, could not have clinched a boxing bronze medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics had the POC then not endorsed his participation. The boxing association at that time was experiencing leadership intramurals between Roilo Golez and Mel Lopez.
The suspensions were handed down a day after Sen. Pia Cayetano led the filing of a motion to cite the Patafa in contempt for disobeying the Senate Committee on Sports’ order for Patafa to amicably settle its differences with Obiena.
