NSA wranglings derail SEAG buildup

Infighting and leadership disputes involving at least three national sports associations might take its toll on the country’s buildup for next year’s 21st Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur.

The NSAs locked up in brewing controversies are cycling, weightlifting and most recently basketball - three events on which the country’s chances of improving its 1999 Brunei SEA Games finish lie heavily.

Filipino athletes settled for just 20 gold medals in Brunei and wound up fifth overall behind overall champion Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. Vietnam came in sixth, just a couple of medals short of the Philippines.

It was the worst finish this decade for the Philippines in the SEA Games since its gold medal haul of 91 - good for second overall behind Indonesia - in the 1991 Manila SEA Games.

The Philippines did not do bad in the 1993 SEAG in Singapore and the 1995 edition in Chiang Mai. In the 1997 Jakarta Games, the Philippines won a total of 43 golds and finished fourth overall.

And with barely nine months away from the September SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, internal problems affecting some NSAs will certainly not help in preparing and motivating the Filipino athletes.

Philippine Sports Commission chair Carlos "Butch" Tuason is fervently hoping that these NSAs settle their differences among themselves before the government sports agency, in coordination with the Philippine Olympic Committee, comes up with the guidelines in selecting Filipino athletes to the 2001 SEA Games.

Under a new setup, the criteria for the selection of SEA Games-bound athletes will be released earlier to determine who among the members of the national pool of the various NSAs will be trained.

The cycling controversy started when a group led by Emmanuel Bayot, the Philippine Amateur Cycling Association vice president for the Visayas, charged Joaqui Preysler of holding on to the presidency despite the absence of an election following the death of former PACA chief Francisco Almeda two years ago.

Preysler claimed otherwise but agreed with Bayot’s group to hold an election on Jan. 13 to finally settle the issue.

Figuring in the weightlifting row are chairman Narciso Aliño and embattled president Rodones Sicat while basketball was recently rocked by the resignation of six-year BAP secretary-general Graham Lim.

Lim submitted his resignation paper to BAP president and Kuala Lumpur SEA Games chief of mission Freddie Jalasco who, however, denied rumors that Lim resigned because of a rift between them.