Peping’s Olympic Committee

It sure looks like Peping Cojuangco is well on his way to yet another reign as President of the Philippine Olympic Committee for a fourth straight term ever since he was elected in 2004. With Ricky Vargas disqualified from running for the POC presidency, the road has been swept clean for Cojuangco and his team for another ride (hopefully not downhill). Is this good for Pinoy sports? Will the sports family simply accept this as it is?

We all know the state of Pinoy Sports. It hasn’t improved since 2004 and we haven’t seen any clear programs that are set to improve this state. Among the more prominent indicators are the dismal performances at the Olympics, Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games, the premier competitions that fall under the Olympic charter of the POC, aligned with the International Olympic Committee and our Asian and Southeast Asian neighbors.

 As a fan, I have high expectations from a president of the POC. I expect him to take the lead to bring Pinoy Sports to new heights. I expect him to inspire the Pinoy athlete, coach and sports patrons to work in pushing Pinoy sports to newer heights and achievements. I expect him to be at the forefront of Pinoy sports who is looked up to as a role model and hero; a champion for Pinoy sports. He or she should be a model of excellence, leadership and service who is respected, followed, obeyed and in a way idolized by athletes, coaches, team managers, sportswriters and the entire sports family. High expectations? Because that’s what the post demands; nothing less.

 Let’s try to simplify this. We can compare the POC president to a school athletic director who is tasked to put up and manage a sports program. He forms a team of coaches, a step-ladder grassroots structure of student-athletes, parent support groups/managers, and makes sure that all teams practice regularly and join tournaments both for exposure and for competition. He or she formulates guidelines for recruitment, practice, coaching, tournaments and discipline. A school’s sports program is then adjudged to be successful if it can score a number of big wins like championships in two venues: on the court and in the classroom.

 With this as a guide, how has Cojuangco performed as POC President? It’s high time that a POC president be assessed in the same way that employees of a company are evaluated. The POC presidency shouldn’t be based on a political exercise. It should be based on performance and results. It’s as clear as black and white. If an employee is a performer, he is recognized for his feats by being given a raise, promoted or both. If he performs poorly, he is helped through training, corrective measures and supervision from the top. And if he continues to perform poorly, he is asked to step aside, is assigned somewhere else or is asked to resign (or retire).

 So where does Cojuangco’s stint as POC president sit? If we were his superiors, what would our evaluation of him be like? Is he a performer? A star performer? A true asset that we can’t let go of? Does he deserve a raise? Does he deserve another run at the position? Does he deserve a bonus? What are Cojuangco’s achievements? Is he going to claim credit for the success of basketball, football, volleyball and boxing? Was he the innovator and prime mover behind the success of Gilas Pilipinas and the Azkals? And what was his role in Hidilyn Diaz’s winning a silver medal at the Rio Olympics? Now if Cojuangco was the man behind all of these, he deserves to stay for another term, di ba?

 The irony of it all is that the developments in sports are those found in sports whose leadership has been dynamic and forward-thinking. Basketball, football, boxing and volleyball and weightlifting have moved on with their programs, reaching heights that we’ve never reached before. Speaking of personalities, the names of the patrons here include the likes of Manny Pangilinan for basketball and the duo of Dan Palami and Nonong Araneta for football. Were they inspired by Cojuangco’s leadership and example? How does Cojuangco’s own national sports association fare up against basketball, football, boxing and volleyball?

 The choosing of a POC president shouldn’t be based on an elections that gives more value to party politics-style voting. The POC president has to be chosen based on qualifications, achievements and the ability to inspire a nation. Electing a president should be based on performance, track record and leadership that inspires. If Cojuangco fits the bill, then he should stay as president. But does he?

 I pray that Peping finally sees the light, retire from sports now that he’s 82 years old, and do the country a favor. By stepping down, he will be paving the way for a bigger and brighter future for Pinoy Sports. We thank him for his efforts and achievements and recommend that be cited by the sports family for this.

 Thanks Peping. It’s time to for a fresh POC: the Philippine Olympic Committee.