Chua makes Athens trip in nick of time

Swimmer Raphael Matthew ‘Timmy’ Chua wouldn’t miss the singular honor of donning the national colors and living every athlete’s dream of an Olympic stint after all as he got the go-signal to compete in Athens yesterday.

The 21-year old Chua found himself in the center of controversy when he met the qualifying standard for Olympic B in the Hong Kong Long Course championship over the weekend but ran afoul with the swimming body as he competed with a squad of Filipino tankers without its permission.

Officials of the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association finally relented as Chua made a formal apology for the infraction, allowing the swimmer to compete and beat the deadline for submission of entries yesterday.

"I beg indulgence for such failure. I know I have hurt people. Should there be any infraction to the rule, I am very sorry. I would like to express my sincerest apology to the officials of PASA and to other swimmers (who have been affected)," said the University of the Philippines student in his letter to PASA.

Saying he was asked to keep silent on his bid since it might spawn controversy, Chua competed and made the grade in the Olympic B qualifier in the event in Kowloon. He surpassed the standard of 1:05.02 with his 1:04.93 clocking in the 100m breaststroke.

"I failed to inform the PASA about this meet because I was asked to keep silent for fear that it might cause problems for the trip to push through," said Chua. "After learning that, I focused on just one thing – train hard because that was my last chance for the Olympics."

PASA secretary-general Chito Rivera said they have already worked on the entry of Chua in Athens Games in time for the deadline set by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) for the submission of the official lineups from the competing countries.

"Foremost in our minds right now is to work on sending Chua to the Olympics and we ask for your prayers that we will be able to successfully comply with all requirements today (yesterday)," said Rivera in a statement.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Celso Dayrit also welcomed the decision.

" We congratulate the swimming association for this magnanimous decision. It’s gratifying to know that more and more Filipinos are qualifying in the Olympics. It’s a good sign," Dayrit told The STAR.

But the move didn’t sit well with two-time Olympian and former Asian sprint queen Lydia de Vega-Mercado.

"Ngayon lang ako nakarinig ng ganyan. Sorry dahil naka-qualify ka sa Olympics?" said de Vega-Mercado, who with former co-athlete and Philippine Sports Commission chair Eric Buhain, led a group made up of other national athletes, former Olympians and top officials in a prayer vigil in front of the PSC building yesterday as a show of support to Chua’s Athens bid. The other former Olympians were Akiko Thompson, Ral Rosario, Mark Joseph and Carlos Brosas.

Buhain and de Vega-Mercado lauded Chua’s move to pursue his bid but criticized PASA’s handling of the case.

"I commend Timmy for his humility, for swallowing his pride just to represent the country in Athens," said Buhain, himself an Olympian.

Chua thus joined fellow swimmers Miguel Molina, Miguel Mendoza, Jaclyn Pangilinan and James Bernard Walsh to Games.

Other members of the squad are boxers Romeo Brin, Violito Payla, Harry Tañamor, Chris Camat, taekwondo jins Tshomlee Go, Donald Geisler and Maria Antonette Rivera, tracksters Eduardo Buenavista and Lerma Bulauitan-Gabito, trap shooter Jethro Dionisio and archer Jasmin Figueroa.