THE world governing body for swimming has withdrawn its recognition of the Philippine Swimming, Inc. (PSI) just 12 days after the international federation (IF), formerly known as FINA, scrapped from its list the members of the PSI’s board of trustees and officers, including its president.
“The recognition of Philippine Swimming, Inc. is now deemed withdrawn and the stabilization committee will act as a reform and electoral committee in its place,” the FINA said in a memo dated Dec. 15 and addressed to PSI president Maria Lailani “Lani” Velasco.
Now known as World Aquatics, the swimming IF decided to drop the PSI from its roster of national federations during its meeting last Dec. 12 after being informed by the Philippine Olympic Committee of the creation of a stabilization committee that would run the association’s day-to-day operations on top of amending its by-laws and conducting new elections.
As a result of the second memo, POC president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said the stabilization committee has an added responsibility of working toward a new corporate name or identity of the national sports association (NSA) for swimming and no longer the PSI.
“The stabilization committee will have–as a more onerous task–to recommend an entirely new NSA for swimming,” said Tolentino, also the president of the national federation for cycling called PhilCycling. “The committee has six months to do that and make the communications with the FINA.”
