Ex-Olympians have say on POC nominees

MANILA, Philippines - The former Filipino Olympians, not the Philippine Olympic Association, have the right to nominate the two representatives from the athletes group to the Philippine Olympic Committee.

But triathlon chief Tom Carrasco insisted that it is the POA that should recommend since it is composed of past Filipino Olympians.

The POA has announced that it would name rower Benjie Tolentino and equestrienne Toni Leviste, both 2000 Sydney Games veterans, as the athletes’ representatives to the POC.

If accepted, the two will represent the athletes group in the POC. They will also be given equal voting rights as the other 39 NSAs (national sports associations).

“Among our past Olympians, Toni (Leviste) and Benjie (Tolentino) know the real concept of the Olympic movement,” Carrasco said.

“I just don’t know why they are trying to block (their appointment), or maybe they are just getting paranoid, thinking that Toni and Benjie will vote for us when a crucial matter is on the line.

“We already made it clear that we won’t demand for Peping’s ouster. All we want is to be a fiscalizer in the POC, and that role will be effectively fulfilled with Toni and Benjie on board,” said the 2002 Busan Asian Games chief of mission.

On the other hand, POC deputy secretary-general Mark Joseph, said that the two athlete representatives, to be chosen among the batch from 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Games, should be picked among the Olympians themselves, and not the POA.

“Olympians’ association has no role in the formation of the NOC (National Olympic Committee) athletes’ commission or representatives to the general assembly,” Joseph said.

Joseph, also the aquatics chief, cited the International Olympic Committee guidelines in the selection of the two representatives.

“The IOC guidelines are very clear. We can debate on this matter until we are blue in the face, and it won’t change what is stated in the guidelines,” he said.

There are 43 Olympians qualified and Joseph noted majority of them came from swimming, diving, athletics and boxing.

“There is nothing wrong with Leviste and Tolentino provided that they are elected by Olympians from 2000, 2004 and 2008,” Joseph said. “As I mentioned, majority of the Olympians are swimmers, divers, boxers, track and field athletes. We must be fair and democratic.”          – Joey Villar