INQUIRER Sports

Perhaps by coincidence, POC special assistant to the president Go Teng Kok handed in his resignation from his post on the day my last column came out.

According to my Chinese associate who relayed the info, this move was prompted by the current wushu controversy where GTK’s assistance was sought by the group of Tai Lian, the man legitimately voted Wushu Federation of the Philippines (WFP) president in the last May 2008 elections

Tai Lian was seeking the recognition of Cojuangco, who is said to support the Julian Camacho–Tan Si Ling tandem which is also claiming WFP leadership.

My associate said quitting his POC post meant GTK was cutting his ties with Cojuangco, leaving him free to help the Tai Lian group, without being confronted with the question of loyalty.

Did Cojuangco accept his resignation, I asked GTK yesterday, four days after he was supposed to have submitted it.

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GTK said Cojuangco was supposed to have left for Italy when he handed in his resignation. He expected that an announcement would be made by the time he returned.

“But the trip to Italy was cancelled, and Peping would not accept my resignation. He said he had too many problems at this time.”

GTK said he will have to find a way to deal with the uproar in Chinatown.

“The entire Chinese community is aware of what’s happening in the WFP and they don’t like it one bit . They know that Tan, who is completely clueless about wushu, is only a puppet installed by Camacho to perpetuate his power in the organization.”

GTK said Cojuangco doesn’t have to feel indebted to people who voted him back to office in the last POC elections.

“I stressed this in our last executive committee meeting.”

As of this writing, GTK is still Cojuangco’s special assistant in the POC, while discontent and unrest continue to brew within the Chinese community.

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I’m not sure if GTK has found a solution to the WFP conflict and if he’s only biding time to implement it, but I know that he is ready, willing and able to “mediate” in another issue involving basketball.

Having been instrumental in uniting the BAP and the SBP at the time when Philippine basketball was in turmoil and we were suspended by the Fiba from participating in all international competition, GTK strongly feels that he must play an active part in reuniting the two groups which are again currently under the scrutiny of the Fiba.

Some quarters have informed us that the Fiba has formed a committee to “investigate” the June 4 and June 12 elections held separately by the BAP and the SBP and also if the Bangkok agreement was followed.

On the other hand, other quarters claim that the committee’s task is to mediate between the SBP and the BAP, which seem to have had a falling out.

The members of the committee are ex-Fiba bigwigs Boris Stankovic and Carl Ching Menky, former Fiba secretary general and Fiba president, respectively, and Dr. Ken Madsen of the Fiba’s legal commission.

If you ask me, I believe the committee will investigate the matter and try to mediate between the BAP and SBP.

Let’s wait and see.