Aventajado running for POC top post

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) chairman Robert Aventajado said yesterday he’s ready to assume a more active role in propelling the country to a competitive position in world sports and announced his candidacy for the presidency in the elections late this year.

It’s not certain if POC president Jose (Peping) Cojuangco Jr. will seek reelection but Aventajado said his plan is to team up with the former Tarlac Congressman as chairman.

Cojuangco’s spokesman Joey Romasanta said the POC president will not disclose his plans until after the Beijing Olympics.

“There are more pressing things to attend to than personal matters such as the coming elections,” said Romasanta. “He’s keeping his cards close to his chest. But if he won the presidency when he hardly knew anyone in the POC four years ago, I don’t think it’ll be a problem to win another term, if he wants it, now that he knows everyone in the POC. I think he’s open to run again. The only thing is his focus at the moment is the Olympics.”

Former POC president Celso Dayrit is rumored to be gathering allies for a bid to succeed Cojuangco and reportedly hosted a recent breakfast meeting with several National Sports Association (NSA) presidents “to test the waters” at the Makati Sports Club.

An NSA official, who declined to be identified, said POC first vice president and Rep. Monico Puentevella may also join the race and could make it a four-way contest. Puentevella was the Philippine delegation’s chef de mission in the last Southeast Asian Games and will reprise the role at the Olympics in Beijing.

Aventajado said after carefully studying his options, he decided it was time to move forward in his personal crusade to promote Philippine sports and develop world-class Filipino athletes.

“I’m definitely running for POC president,” said Aventajado who is the Philippine Taekwondo Assoication president and chief organizer of the highly-successful annual Philippine Olympic Festival (POF), now in its third year. 

“I’m hoping Congressman Cojuangco will continue to share his wisdom with the POC as chairman, a position that he is most suited for,” he continued. “As chairman, he can set down policies and represent the POC in Congress. I’ve been chairman for two terms now. I think it’s time I take a more active role in developing Philippine sports.”

This year’s POF gets off the ground with the North Central Luzon qualifiers in Subic, co-hosted by Olongapo City and the SBMA, on April 2-6. The Mindanao leg will be held in Tubud, Lanao del Norte, with Gov. Mohamed Khalid Dimaporo hosting. Manila Mayor Lim will host the NCR qualifiers and Gov. Emilio Macias of Negros Oriental, the Visayas qualifiers in Dumaguete. The Bicol-Southern Tagalog leg will be jointly coordinated by Trace College, UP Los Banos and the Los Banos government. Cagayan de Oro will be the site for the National Championships after the five qualifiers.

Aventajado said golf, softball, badminton and volleyball will be added to the POF’s 17 regular sports with bridge, dancesport, wushu and bowling included on a selective basis, depending on the availability of facilities and officials. The 17 regular sports are aquatics, archery, athletics, table tennis, taekwondo, muay, chess, football, baseball, basketball, judo, arnis, karate, sepak takraw, gymnastics, wrestling and powerlifting.

Aventajado said by his initial count, he has the backing of at least 17 POC voting members. There are close to 40 votes up for grabs.

With the POF as his flagship project, Aventajado mentioned he is proposing the establishment of a complementary program called the Olympic Academy where teaching modules will be set up for physical education teachers in elementary school systems. 

“The Academy will be done in cooperation with the PSC and Department of Education,” he said. “Ours is a shared vision. We are hoping to inculcate the values of Olympism and sports to elementary students at the grassroots level.”