INQUIRER Sports

IF YOU CAN?T GO STRAIGHT TO THE boss, the next best move is to talk to his trusted lieutenant.

Philippine Sports Commission chair Harry Angping said Monday he would ask Asian Games chef de mission Joey Romasanta to help solve the leadership rows among troubled national sports associations for the sake of the RP contingent in November?s Guangzhou Asiad.

Angping said that warring groups in cycling, billiards, wushu, badminton, archery and equestrian should settle their differences so the NSAs can send their best Asiad bets.

?I?m hoping to sit down with him (Romasanta) one of these days to thresh things out,? said Angping.

Romasanta could not be reached for comment last night.

Diplomatic and mild-mannered, Romasanta is a trusted aide of Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose ?Peping? Cojuangco Jr., who is critical of Angping?s policies in the government sports agency.

?We should be gentleman enough to talk and know the problem of each NSA so we?ll have the chance to send the best possible team,? said Angping.

At the Southeast Asian Games in Laos in December last year, Angping succeeded in convincing the group of Sebastian Chua of the Billiards and Snookers Congress of the Philippines to agree to a truce with the faction of Arturo ?Bong? Ilagan.

It paved the way for the formation of the billiards ?dream team? led by world champions Efren ?Bata? Reyes, Francisco ?Django? Bustamante, Ronnie Alcano, Roberto Gomez and Rubilen Amit, who came up with two of the team?s three gold medals.

?It?s a difficult job to play referee for both sides,? said Angping.