Olympian association formed

Philippine Olympic Committee president Celso Dayrit announced the formation of the Philippine Olympian Association (POA).

Named charter officers were Rafael Hechanova, chairman; Art Macapagal, president; and Ral Rosario, secretary general. Hechanova was a member of the basketball team which competed in the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 while Macapagal and Rosario competed as a shooter and a swimmer, respectively, in the 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal Olympics.

According to Dayrit, these three will meet shortly to craft the organization’s charter.

All Olympians are requested to get in touch with the POC Secretariat at Room 357, PICC, tel. nos. 8342432/36 or fax their names, addresses and other particulars to 8342434.

The POA is expected to hold its first fellowship gathering in June simultaneously with the celebration of Olympic Day.

The formation of the POA is in response to the call of the International Olympic Committee following the recent creation of the World Olympian Association headed by Hungarian fencer Pal Schmidt.

The Philippines began competing in the Olympic Games in 1924 in Paris. Among our Olympic medalists so far are Anthony Villanueva, Mansueto "Onyok" Velasco, Teofilo Yldefonso, Simeon Toribio, Jose "Cely" Villlanueva, Leopoldo Serrantes and Roel Velasco.

Among those who also competed in the Olympics are Sen. Robert Jaworski, Mona Sulaiman, Lydia de Vega, Elma Muros-Posadas, Ricardo, Rene and Rey Fortaleza, Ruben Mares, Reynaldo Galido, Elias Recaido, Roberto Jalnaiz and Leopoldo Cantancio.