Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
This should serve as a stern warning to national sports associations (NSAs) hounded by internal strife.
Philippine Sports Commission chair William Ramirez said he won’t think twice suspending the financial assistance of sports associations that cannot iron out their internal differences.
“I will not hesitate to stop funding NSAs which cannot resolve their problems internally,” said Ramirez.
“I have instructions from the President [Duterte] to unify sports.”
Once the squabble within an NSA persists and remains unresolved despite tenacious efforts to unite, Ramirez said the government sports agency would just turn its attention to the discovery of young athletes.
“If nothing happens with the healing process or unification, we might as well focus our support on grassroots development,” said Ramirez.
Tennis was recently engaged in a leadership stand-off when top Philippine Tennis Association officials Salvador “Buddy” Andrada and Randy Villanueva both claimed the Philta presidency.
They’ve eventually agreed to put the conflict aside and hold their own election of officers in January after the Philippine Olympic Committee elections late next month.
“The POC, as the umbrella organization, should be the one to explore the resolutions to the problems of its member associations,” said Ramirez.
“We cannot interfere, we’re just here to bridge the gap for them to resolve,” added Ramirez.
Besides tennis, the POC had also stepped in and put order on the leadership woes that plagued baseball, wrestling and archery, among others.