THE Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) cracked the whip on the Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) while deferring making a decision against the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) to allow the mediation between the latter and Asian pole vault record-holder Ernest John “EJ” Obiena.
A total of 42 out of 55 voting members, which was more than the required two-thirds vote, ratified PHILTA’s 90-day suspension for failing to follow the International Tennis Federation’s instruction to amend its constitution and by-laws and hold elections.
But while it did not spare PHILTA, the POC showed leniency on PATAFA, which was reported to be close to patching things up with Mr. Obiena.
“In the spirit of sportsmanship and because of the Lenten season, I deferred the move to suspend the PATAFA as decided by the POC Executive Board,” said POC President Abraham Tolentino after the hybrid GA held at the Grandmaster Hotel in Tagaytay City.
“And because of the unfinished mediation procedure between the PATAFA and EJ [Ernest John] Obiena, a vote to suspend the athletics federation wasn’t offered to the GA,” he added.
Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez happily announced on Tuesday that PATAFA and Mr. Obiena are on the brink of mending fences and could end their row on Thursday.
But if it doesn’t, the congressman from Tagaytay said they could make the harsh decision to ban PATAFA in their GA next month.
“If the Patafa doesn’t endorse EJ [Obiena] in the next GA, the suspension will be decided on the floor,” said Mr. Tolentino. — Joey Villar