INQUIRER Sports

SOMETHING WAS gravely wrong with a recent report (not in the Inquirer) about a bunch of national athletes who supposedly approached and asked a millionaire sportsman to take over as president of the national cycling association.

Said that report: “National coaches Joselito Santos, Carlo Jazul and Gerardo Amar and national team mainstays Alfie Catalan, Arnold Marcelo and bemedalled Victor Espiritu met with Mikee Romero and succeeded in persuading him to take the cycling presidency.”

The group met at the Philippine Olympic Committee office, added the report, which came out on June 25.

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“Wala po, I was not in that meeting,” Espiritu, winner of the 2008 national Tour and defending Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, said on Wednesday.

Espiritu e-mailed the erroneous report to the Inquirer yesterday.

Espiritu took exception to the inadvertent inclusion of his name among those who pleaded with Romero to accept the cycling presidency.

This prompted us to call the attention of the reporter who wrote the story through a text message.

But the reporter was unresponsive.

* * *

As a result, Espiritu and other cycling people said it obviously was not an honest mistake.

Two-time Tour champion Jesus Garcia Jr. said the reporter was apparently used.

Whether the reporter was tricked or he allowed himself to be used was beside the point, Garcia said.

“They’ve been using the names of prominent cyclists to justify their illegal takeover of the presidency,” Garcia said. “This is all a lie.”

Garcia said he continues to recognize the official election of former national cyclist Rolando Hiso as president of the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (PhilCycling) in an exercise ordered and supervised by the Philippine Olympic Committee on May 9.

“Victor was not among those who went begging to Romero, and it’s not true that he was getting his salary from Romero,” bared a popular broadcaster who has been batting for reforms in Philippine cycling.

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Actually, what greatly bothers Espiritu is the dirty manner they picture him as a mendicant.

For the record, he said, he continues to train for this year’s Southeast Asian Games uncertain where to get his allowance.

Espiritu is a duty sergeant in the Philippine Army.

But his pay status—detached attendance at the Philippine Sports Commission—is in danger of being revoked.

* * *

“If I don’t sign for attendance at the PSC, I would be taken out of the roster of national athletes and my detached order would also be revoked,” Espiritu said.

What does he do? Where does he go from here?

It’s like this: Although the POC now recognizes Romero as PhilCycling president, after inexplicably nullifying Hiso’s official poll victory, another group, headed Tagaytay Mayor Bambol Tolentino, claims recognition from the International Cycling Federation.

The PSC recognizes and supports this Tolentino faction.

However, it would be a direct affront to Romero and the POC if Espiritu signs up for attendance under the PSC.

The poor fellow is quite confused.

Even Go Teng Kok and Monico Puentevella, chief allies of the POC president, may no longer be thrilled at all by this foul-up they have created.