POC hopes to break cycling impasse

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Olympic Committee wants the problem within the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines solved before time runs out on its participation in the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou in November.

“Time is of the essence here. So, we wrote both sides a letter asking them to come,” said Moying Martelino of the POC working committee, which is overseeing the country’s preparations for the quadrennial event.

Martelino, an old hand in RP sports, set the meeting at the POC office at Philsports tomorrow, and he expects representatives from the two warring factions to be there, and hopefully forge a gentleman’s agreement.

“I will be there. If they come, then maybe we can iron out things. If they don’t come, it means they’re not interested,” said Martelino following a POC suggestion for both sides to stage a unified qualifying tournament.

That way, the country can form a team that is acceptable to both groups, and field them to Guangzhou. In the 2009 Laos SEA Games, the RP cyclists were barred from competing as a result of the leadership dispute.

On one side is a group led by Tagaytay City Mayor Bambol Tolentino, the one being recognized by the international federation, and on the other is the group under Armando Bautista, the one being recognized by the POC.

Jose Romasanta, chef-de-mission of the RP Team to Guangzhou, is hoping for both parties to come up with a “mutual agreement” just to make sure that the country can participate in the cycling competitions in Guangzhou.

“There should be no conditions. The only condition here is that there should be no condition. They should set their differences aside even just for the Asian Games. Otherwise, it will be the second time this will happen,” said Romasanta.

“It should be a mutual agreement. They must sit down, and set up the talking points on how to stage the unified qualifying tournament. Then they can sign it, go to Guangzhou, and tackle their problems after the Asian Games,” he added.

The former head of the Project Gintong Alay said they’ve drafted a letter to be submitted to the Union Cycliste Internationale, the world’s governing body in the sport, to inform them of the POC proposal.