Ramirez named OIC during Asiad

The Philippine Sports Commission will be in good hands while chairman Eric Buhain and the rest of the country’s top sports officials are out on the field overlooking the Filipino participation in the forthcoming Busan Asian Games.

Buhain made this assurance the other day when he named commissioner William "Butch" Ramirez as the officer-in-charge of the government sports agency for the duration of the 48-nation quadrennial event scheduled Sept. 29 to Oct. 14.

Buhain, a former swimming champion and winner of five gold medals in the 1991 Manila Southeast Asian Games, is scheduled to leave for the South Korean port city on Sept. 22 along with commissioner Leon Montemayor and the first batch of athletes.

"Commissioner Ramirez will stay to take care of the PSC while we’re away. Commissioners Mike Barredo and Cynthia Carrion will also be in Busan although I think they will come in later that us," said Buhain.

Ramirez was also appointed officer-in-charge last year during the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games. Therefore, manning the PSC is nothing new for the Mindanao sports official, probably the least traveled commissioner in the 12-year history of the sports body.

"I asked the chairman if I could stay because I don’t think we’re all needed to be there in Busan. Not because the Asian Games is going on means there’s nothing to do here in the PSC. And besides, I’m busy with the Mindanao Friendship Games set later next month," said Ramirez. "So, I’d rather stay."