Baseball strikes out on SEAG?

MANILA, Philippines - Even though stakeholders have started cleaning house at the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association (PABA), it may prove too late to ensure the Filipino batters’ participation in the coming Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia.

The PABA has set an election on Sept. 17 but the electoral process – a requirement to get PABA back in the graces of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) – is already past the deadline for submission of SEAG entries.

The POC’s SEAG committee has given all participating national sports associations (NSAs) until Aug. 24 to submit their entries by name. Host Indonesia’s final deadline is Sept. 15.

“If the (PABA) couldn’t meet its requirements to the POC, how can we send it?” said deputy chef de mission Julian Camacho, blaming the delay on the PABA election for jeopardizing the Phl team’s SEAG stint.

“They’ve been asked by the POC to hold an election, but it seems it’s too late in the day,” he added.

The Filipino batters are among the gold medal prospects for the Phl delegation to the SEAG, previously winning the title at home in 2005 and finishing second to host Thailand in 2007.

Complying with the POC, the PABA’s 11-man ad hoc committe has already screened the roster of recommended members who will take part in the voting at the PSC audio-visual room in PhilSports. The list of around 60 members is currently being analyzed by the POC legal committee.

The POC has earlier refused to recognize the election of Dr. Emmanuel Angeles as PABA president in place of long-time chief Hector Navasero after some baseball groups complained they were excluded in the process.          – Olmin Leyba

The Olympic body has maintained its recognition of Navasero but obliged him to gather all stakeholders to conduct a legitimate election.

Adding to PABA’s woes, the Philippine Sports Commission has stripped the national batters of monthly allowances due to their failure to participate in the Philippine National Games.