THE sporting world mourned the passing of former Philippine Olympic Committee president and Fencing Confederation of Asia president Celso “Cito” Dayrit, who died of a lingering illness late Wednesday night. He was 69.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of an extraordinary leader and President of the Fencing Confederation of Asia (FCA), Celso L. Dayrit. He lived a life of faith, service and leadership.
“His untimely demise left a significant void in the FCA, which he served more than 15 years as president. His family requests for prayers in this difficult time,” the Asian fencing body said in a statement posted yesterday on its Facebook account.
“It is with sad and heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved FCA President Mr. Celso L. Dayrit — December 19, 1951 — April 29, 2021. We have lost a sports leader, a gentleman, a father to many, a brother, a dear friend and a mentor to many,” a separate statement on the FCA website said.
Sympathy, tributes and prayers from sports leaders for the late POC and FCA chief and commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission poured in yesterday.
“He (Dayrit) was a big loss to us in the sports community and to me as well personally. He was one of my mentors. He was a big help to me in foreign relations, especially with the Southeast Asian Games Federation,” POC President and Tagaytay Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said. “He always gave me sound advice. I will surely miss him.”
The sentiment was shared by PSC Chairman Butch Ramirez, who said: “Philippine sports lost a wise man today. He is one of my very best friends in sports and I have always admired his deep understanding of Olympism and sports dynamics in the country.
“Cito’s death was so sudden and I’m sad. Cito’s contribution to Philippine sports was great in the realms of Olympism. Goodbye, my friend.”
“Cito was an outstanding gentleman leader and a very decent guy,” said former POC first vice president Joey Romasanta. “He was a standout during his time and well-respected by sports officials outside the country.”
“It was Cito who worked for the creation of the POC chairman, specifically for me to occupy which I did for eight years,” said former POC chairman and fencing head Robert Aventajado. “He was a fine person and gentleman. Philippine sports lost a good leader.”
Former national fencer and Philippine Fencing Association chief Richard Gomez was among those who grieved Dayrit, whose father, Don Paco, was the country’s fencing pioneer and first president of the Philippine Amateur Fencing Association in the late 1930s.
The elder Dayrit is enshrined in the Hall of Fame of the International Fencing Federation, the world fencing body known by its French acronym FIE, while his son followed suit and served as president of the renamed Philippine Fencing Association from 1997 to 2008.
“I am a deeply saddened to hear this. His (Dayrit’s) death is a great loss to our sport and painful to those who knew and loved him,” Gomez said. “He was my mentor both as a fencing athlete and president of the fencing NSA. Our condolences go to the Dayrit family.”
Former fencing secretary general Marilee Estampador said Dayrit’s death was “a big loss also to the international fencing community. He was a dedicated leader and well-respected.
He will definitely be missed.”
Tall and dapper, Dayrit, a former banker, served as PSC commissioner in the early nineties and is the architect during the term of the late PSC chairman Mel Lopez of the Philippine National Games, the sportsfest that served as the spawning ground for national athletes with the participation and support of local government units.
He served as president of the local Olympic body from 1999 to 2004 and was recognized as a resource speaker of the IOC’s Olympic Solidarity program. In recognition of his expertise as an experienced sports leader and educator, he was asked to help revise the IOC Sports Administration manual in 1999.
Dayrit is the author of two books: “The Olympic Movement in the Philippines,” which was published in 2003, and “Wisdom of the Sword: Quotes and Aphorisms of Celso L. Dayrit.”
In one of his last acts as a sportsman, Dayrit served as chairman of the Southeast Asian Games Federation for the 30th Philippine SEA Games in 2019.
