WEIGHTLIFTING chief Monico Puentevella yesterday reminded Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino that it’s virtually futile for the POC to endorse pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena to international meets without the accreditation of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association.
“The Philippine Olympic Committee, of which I have been a member for more than 30 years, keeps insisting that we can accredit an athlete to international competitions such as the SEA Games, Asian Games or the Olympics, even if an athlete is not endorsed or accredited by the National Sports Association,” Puentevella in a statement yesterday.
“In this case we are talking about our controversial and Asia’s best pole vaulter EJ Obiena,” he said.
“If there’s anyone who knows better that this can’t be done it’s our own POC President Bambol Tolentino,” he recalled of the top POC official’s own experience in the 2009 Laos Southeast Asian Games when the POC chief exercised his prerogative as president of the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines.
“He (Tolentino) tends to forget that in the 2009 Laos SEA Games, 12 cyclists not accredited by his NSA and IF, the UCI (International Cycling Federation known by its French acronym UCI) were not allowed to join by the organizers even if they were already in Laos,” Puentevella noted.
During that time, the POC under former POC head Peping Cojuangco had recognized then businessman-sportsman Mikee Romero as the leader of the cycling association.
“The lone lady cyclist, Marites Bitbit, endorsed by Tolentino was also not allowed to participate (in the SEA Games) in fairness to the others. This brought about a Senate hearing on a ‘harassment’ complaint filed by Bitbit,” Puentevella pointed out.
“In short, as long as the International Athletics Federation (now known as World Athletics) recognizes Philip Juico as (Patafa) president, Obiena will not be able to vault (in any international competition). In case he qualifies for the Olympics,” he added.
“He (Obiena) 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,” the former POC chairman said.
Puentevella also recalled the time when the Basketball Association of the Philippines was suspended by the International Basketball Federation in 2005 because of intramurals within the federation.
This led to the cancellation of the basketball tournament in the Philippine SEA Games despite the plea of the POC to hold the sport dearly cherished by Filipino sports fans and where the country was the defending men’s basketball champion.
Puentevella reiterated his proposal to break the impasse between Patafa and Obiena as well as the involvement of the POC in the controversy.
“So, here’s the bottom line. First, the POC must not ratify the persona non grata on Juico as proposed by the Executive Board in our next General Assembly on Jan. 26. To have peace in the POC, Patafa must then reinstate EJ Obiena to the national pool. It’s as simple as that,” he said.
“Let the Philippine Sports Commission mediate with these parties concerned for a month and then let’s move on. I’m sure Chairman (William) Ramirez can handle that. Meeting of minds. Let’s all stop making fools of ourselves. People are laughing at us, especially at this time of Omicron. Our people deserve no less,” Puentevella stressed.
