THE Philippine Sports Commission has reiterated its appeal to the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association and pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena to submit to PSC mediation regarding the conflict between the two parties or risk losing further financial support from the government sports agency.
Fernandez disclosed that Obiena could lose P12 million the PSC board has approved for his training in 2022 if he fails to heed the PSC mediating effort, while the local track body will no longer receive further aid, affecting it plans and programs as well as the athletes in the national athletic pool.
“The mediation will be done in secrecy and confidentiality while going to an arbitration process,” Fernandez noted. “This is why Chairman Ramirez considers this move a win-win solution to both parties involved.”
Commissioner Ramon Fernandez yesterday said the PSC agreed during its board meeting presided over by Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez last week that it was firm in this decision two days before the deadline set by the PSC this Wednesday for both parties to agree to mediation.
The controversy involved the allowances due the athlete’s Ukrainian coach, Vitaly Petrov, after the local athletics body learned from Petrov’s former protégé, former world and Olympic champion Sergey Bubka, that his mentor had not been paid since 2018.
