INQUIRER Sports

TAIPEI?Aquaticsports Association of the Philippines (Asap) secretary general Susan Papa should have been laughing heartily in triumph after gathering 50 Filipino swimmers to compete in the 2009 Taipei American School Invitational swim meet.

Just before Susan?s huge contingent? the biggest ever since she started joining the event about four years ago? left for Taipei, Pasa president Mark Joseph again tried to abort the trip.

?He did it through their consultant Ric Powers, who called the event organizers ordering them not to allow the group to swim since they were not affiliated with the Pasa. The organizers simply ignored them,? Susan disclosed.

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Learning from a nightmarish experience in Singapore some months ago where the Pasa president almost succeeded in convincing the organizers to ban Susan?s swimmers, she made sure that the incident won?t happen again.

?When I got the invitation, I immediately informed the organizers that we were not under the Pasa. We had anticipated that Mark Joseph will try to block our participation again. And he did. But again he was unsuccessful. The organizers said we don?t need the sanction of the Pasa since our club had been participating in the last couple of years,? Susan said.

Only Susan?s club participated here in the past. This year she decided to share the invitation with other clubs under the umbrella of the newly formed Asap. Clubs from Pampanga, Cebu and Bohol eventually joined the Metro Manila teams.

The new swimmers included Nationals Dennice, Denjylie and Delia Angela Cordero, daughters of coach Dennis whose trip and participation were sponsored by Susan.

?I feel a certain kind of excitement when I spot talent. I am prompted to help in whatever way I can to help them achieve their full potential,? Susan said.

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Why was Susan not laughing heartily?

?Let?s just say, I now understand some of Mark?s problems as head of a national sports association, specifically why he has to use an iron hand in handling certain matters,? she said.

At presstime, Susan has 10 golds, which she will later present to Asap president lawyer Luz Arzaga Mendoza, after the first day of competition.

Last year, Susan?s club brought home only one gold after two days of competition against swimmers from Hong Kong, Vietnam, Japan, Beijing, Shanghai and host Taiwan.

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I?ve lost track of the current standing of the Coca-Cola Tigers in the PBA.

Coke governor and team manager JB Baylon said he has come to realize that he is like Mommy Dionisia Pacquiao, who refuses to watch her son fight live.

?The only difference is, Mommy D?s prayers for a victory are always answered (his are not),? JB said.

?Maybe I am praying to the wrong saints!?