POC okays chess status, installs Mark swim head

The Philippine Olympic Committee general assembly yesterday elevated chess to regular membership and confirmed the position of Mark Joseph as president of the beleaguered swimming association.

The assembly unanimously voted to make the National Chess Federation of the Philippines an official voting member of the POC in its bi-monthly meeting in Makati City.

"Chess has been approved by the executive board and ratified by the assembly as the newest regular member of the POC," said POC president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco.

As the 38th member of the POC, the NCFP whose sport will be one of the probable sources of gold medals for the country in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games, will enjoy voting rights accorded a regular National Sports Association (NSA).

The POC decision enabled NCFP chief Go Teng Kok, who is also the athletics president, to gain two votes in the national Olympic body.

As this developed, Cojuangco announced the assembly’s affirmation of Joseph as the new president of the troubled Philippine Amateur Swimming Association, replacing Monchito Ilagan.

Cojuangco said both Joseph and Ilagan signed an agreement that would have paved the way for the holding of a regional election in six "hot spots" two months from now before national election that would have pitted Joseph against Ilagan for the PASA presidency.

Ilagan, however, withdrew his signature a few days after signing the agreement, questioning the eligibility of Joseph but Cojuangco said the former couldn’t simply back out since it took them four hours to craft the agreement.

In billiards, Cojuangco said he urged newly-elected president Ernesto Fajardo and secretary-general Joaquin de Tagle to come up with a peaceful solution to the leadership row at the Billiards and Snookers Congress of the Philippines. — Joey Villar