INQUIRER Sports

A LONG-RANGE PROGRAM FOR SPORTS is not feasible at the moment.

And Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose ?Peping? Cojuangco Jr. believes the biggest obstacle to setting long-term goals is the limited tenure of sports officials.

?There are factors that have to be resolved first before we can think of a long-term program,? said Cojuangco.

POC officials have a fixed tenure of four years, with elections held every Olympic year. Philippine Sports Commission officials, meanwhile, serve at the pleasure of the President.

The former Tarlac lawmaker said he has already suggested a fixed term for PSC officials to the House of Representatives so as not to derail the continuity of current programs.

?For the meantime, the solution is to look for sponsors who could commit [to provide for] the needs of the athletes,? said Cojuangco.

He said wrestler Jason Balabal, who won the gold in the 84-kilogram men?s freestyle, already has a sponsor, who is willing to shell out P50,000 a month for Balabal?s bid in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.