Ousted karatekas want to challenge PSC's new recruits

Manila, Philippines - The members of the Philippine karate team who were recently dropped from the national pool are not seeking outright slots to the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia in November.

In fact, they said they are willing to undergo the normal process of elimination, and that they are ready to face the younger batch of karatekas in a winner-take-all showdown.

“Kung gusto nila, laban laban na lang (If they want, we can slug it out),” said the karatekas who are being forced out of the team and stripped of their monthly allowances.

Marna Pabillore, a two-time SEA Games gold medalist and Asian Games silver medalist, led the group of 13 karatekas who boycotted the ongoing Philippine National Games.

The PNG is supposed to give younger athletes a chance against the veterans in their respective sports, and if they manage to prove themselves then they can be considered for the SEA Games.

But Pabillore said when they got to Bacolod for the PNG, they were surprised to learn that they, the veterans, were being pitted against each other in an open-weight category.

“We thought we were supposed to face the younger ones, aged 17 to 26, to see if they have what it takes to take over the national team. But that was not the case,” said Pabillore.

“Ang gusto pala nila, kaming mga veterans ang maglaban-laban. So, we boycotted the games,” she said, adding that it became clear to them that they are being eased out of the national team.

Besides, Pabillore said, there’s no open weight category in the SEA Games, so whoever topped their division in the PNG will have no spot at all in the SEA Games delegation.

Veterans Renato Manalo and Joel Gonzaga, both in the 30s, decried their ouster from the national team. They are confident that the younger ones stand no chance against them.

The karatekas said they want to file an appeal before the Philippine Sports Commission which has already suspended their allowances ranging from P6,000 to P15,000 a month.

Soon, they will also be asked to vacate their training and lodging quarters under the PSC supervision. But it seems that PSC chairman Richie Garcia has slammed the door on them.

“They have nothing to explain because the NSA (Philippine Karatedo Federation) has already removed them from the national pool,” said Garcia.

Gonzaga recalled that as they prepared for the PNG, and as the PKF was in the middle of a leadership dispute, the PSC chairman told them to just focus on their training.

“Chairman Garcia told us to keep on training and then compete in Bacolod. But when we got there he told us to just stay put and observe,” he said.

“Huwag lang kayo gumawa ng gulo dyan (Just don’t cause any trouble there),” Gonzaga recalled Garcia as saying.