Officials in war of words over venues, training

After Philippine Olympic Committee chairman Robert Aventajado branded Michael Keon’s recent statements as unfair, the flamboyant training director of the national athletes that will see action in this year’s SEA Games yesterday spewed a mouthful more.

"I was just being apprehensive. That’s all," Keon told a pack of journalists shortly after he got hold of a press release where Aventajado said it was "unfair (for Keon) to sound the alarm" that the Filipinos are losing the hometown advantage for the SEA Games.

Keon said the failure of the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee to finalize or repair the venues of a number of events and deliver the training equipment is denying the Filipino athletes the luxury of the hometown advantage.

"It’s kind of late. The synthetic track (oval) being prepared just three months before the competition is somewhat late," said Keon, who earlier said that "the sooner we allocate the venues, the sooner the athletes can go there and train and be familiar with them and thereby have the hometown advantage."

Aventajado countered that "the true homecourt advantage is the local crowd that will go to the venues during the sports meet to cheer Filipino athletes.... but our chances of winning the overall crown strongly depend on our athletes’ performance and the amount of public support we get."

Aventajado, a member of the Philsoc board or trustees, added that there are only three venues (those in gymnastics, wrestling and women’s football) out of the 41 sports left for Philsoc to settle and that it only represents seven percent of the overall picture and is therefore "very manageable."

"I agree with him — a hundred percent. But again, I was just stating my apprehension. And it shouldn’t be taken out of context. I just wanted some people to move a little faster," said Keon.

Asked why Aventajado or Philsoc had to react with his statements issued to the media last Wednesday, Keon shrugged his shoulders.

"Philsoc has been taking a lot of criticism. Time is not on their side. Their backs are against the wall and they have to work very hard. People lack money and they lack time. People are playing catch up," said Keon.

Philsoc is being run by POC president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco.

"And it’s not only the venues but the equipment. Gymnastics needs to get its equipment, sailing needs to get its equipment," he told reporters.

Keon, a nephew of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, said hosting the 23rd edition of the SEA Games is a big gamble.

"Philsoc took a gamble. The PSC and the POC all took a gamble in agreeing to host the SEA Games. The government categorically stated beforehand that it would not give the type of money that was needed to stage a full-blown Southeast Asian Games. Now people will have to live with that gamble."

Keon cautioned his fellow sports officials on their predictions on the country’s overall chances in the 11-nation meet.

"Whoever is saying that we’re going to win the overall championship is," Keon paused, "being optimistic. Let’s be cautious with our predictions. Of course, I want the Philippines to become overall champion. But don’t you think the other countries are doing just that? Shouldn’t we be careful in making predictions?"