Philippines sports back in partisan politics

Commentary

MANILA, Philippines — Lost in the turn of events that beset the conflict between the PATAFA and Olympian EJ Obiena is the very core of the dispute – integrity and accountability.

A simple inquiry in the unusual liquidation of public fund used in training led to a volatile situation enflamed by politics and relentless media war.

When the smoke cleared, the world-ranked pole vaulter was facing expulsion from the national pool or retirement at the prime of his career, and athletics head Philip Juico was declared persona non grata by the POC general assembly, allegedly “railroading” the process of ratifying the decision of its executive board.

It was a sad commentary on the state of Philippine sports which enjoyed a tremendous 2021.

What was galling was how Obiena accused Juico of “bad faith” as he backed out on the mediation offered by the PSC to resolve the case, stressing he would not jump for Juico and the PATAFA but for the country in the latest episode of the controversy.

“I want to work with an NSA that prioritizes values, integrity and winning medals for our country,” said Obiena.

He added that he didn’t want to “create chaos in Philippine sports but I fight because I don’t want this to ever happen again to any Filipino athlete. Marami na tayong nasayang (We wasted so much already).”

Ironically, that’s precisely what PATAFA has been trying to do – get to the bottom of the anomalous disbursement, the non-payment for three years of coach Vitaly Petrov’s fees and remittances in tranches from three banks – one in Germany, another in Dubai.

He stressed he didn’t want to “create chaos” in the local sports scene but by challenging the authorites of PATAFA, he unwittingly sowed the seed of divisiveness and dissent among athletes and their respective NSAs and seek refuge in the arms POC officials.

And it makes you wonder why sports megastars Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz and world gymnast hero Carlos Yulo have maintained a cordial and working relationships with their NSAs and claimed honors and prestige far greater than Obiena’s feat of SEAG gold, Asian record and being the lone Asian finalist in pole vault in Tokyo Olympics.

Obiena defied the authority of the athletics body and conveniently ignored the fact that it was Juico who introduced him to Sergey Bubka, the pole vault legend who led this once scrappy UAAP  champ to prominence and world ranking through Petrov.

Juico had wanted to know how Obiena mishandled the PSC fund the last three years, including 36,000 euros for Petrov’s services but instead was tagged persona non grata by POC on charge of harassment.

“I may now be persona non grata in the eyes of the POC, but this will not distract us in our quest for truth, accountability, transparency and justice in our federation,” said Juico.

The Olympic body further muddled up the issue by vowing to support the training and endorsing the particiation in IOC-sanctioned events by the embattled athlete, a function exclusive to NSAs like the PATAFA.

POC president Bambol Tolentino maintained that Obiena’s predicament will be a “test case” for future disputes between NSAs and their chargers.

What has started as a simple inquiry on the fund for training became a national concern that put in focus the career of the pole vault ace and Philippine sports back in partisan politics.