INQUIRER Sports

SURELY, MANY RAISED their eyebrows when national athletics president Go Teng Kok showed up at the luncheon hosted by businessman-sportsman Mikee Romero for PhilCycling, the national cyclists and members of the media at the Kamayan/Saisaki restaurant on Edsa in Quezon City yesterday.

GTK explained his presence in a short speech.

As special assistant to POC president Jose ?Peping? Cojuangco, GTK said he was tasked by his boss ?to find out the status of Philippine cycling.?

In other words, he was supposed to investigate the dissension in the local cycling scene which, like other sports, has two opposing factions.

?Actually, three of us were appointed to do the work. The two others are (POC first vice president) Manny Lopez of boxing and Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella of weightlifting,? GTK said.

His report will be tackled in the next meeting of the expanded POC board, he said.

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The majority of the scribes present were expecting Mikee, already the ?godfather of amateur basketball,? to announce his acceptance of the post of PhilCycling (Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines) president.

PhilCycling directors and the national cyclists not only joined forces but also signed a manifesto urging Mikee to accept the presidency.

?Considering his passion for sports and his track record in basketball, I believe that only Romero can lead the cycling federation to new heights,? said Armando Bautista, PhilCycling secretary general.

The other officers agreed. To them, Mikee is the long-awaited savior of the national sports association, the answer to the many problems that have long plagued the organization.

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But Mikee was not ready to take on all the problems that he was being asked to inherit.

He said he didn?t want to be put in a situation that he?d find too hard to sort out.

Mikee was quick to add, however, that he would be happy to bankroll the cycling team seeing action in the Laos Southeast Asian Games in Deember.

He said he?s willing to play ?godfather? to the national cycling squad, and he proceeded to pledge a budget of P5 million to help them. He also pledged cash bonuses of P200,000, P100,000 and P50,000 respectively for every gold, silver and bronze medal won by the national cyclist in the SEA Games.

Mikee said he couldn?t forget the feeling of waving the Philippine flag in a competition. ?Everything turns slow motion and I can even hear the flapping of the flag as I wave it side to side,? he said.

?I believe that we?ll get the much-coveted Olympic gold medal in cycling,? Mikee announced.

GTK gave Romero until today to make up his mind on whether or not he would accept the post of PhilCycling president. The signature of the NSA president is required for the submission of the official entry form to the SEA Games organizers.